Boston Bruins: Where can you go with the Kevan Miller contract?

With news of Danton Heinen’s new deal, the Boston Bruins desperately need to shed some salary. Kevan Miller is an option, but the question is how do you sell him?

Given that Kevan Miller is a 31 year-old defenseman recovering from a fractured kneecap and only appeared in 39 regular season games last year for the Boston Bruins, it might well prove somewhat of a hard sell.

Since turning professional at the tail of the 2010-11 season with the Providence Bruins, after graduating the University of Vermont program, Kevan Miller has not yet had a season without missing at least some games. His best NHL campaign was in 2015-16, appearing in 71 of the Boston Bruins’ 82 games that year.

The challenge, given a history of not making a full season, is who would actually be willing to take on his $2.5 million cap hit knowing that it will benefit the Bruins. Anyone taking on the cap hit must know that in doing so, they’re making it easier to re-sign restricted free agents, Brandon Carlo and Charlie McAvoy.

Demote him to the minors?

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Perhaps the easiest approach would actually be to not try and sell him; just demote him to the Providence Bruins. Whilst it doesn’t clear the full $2.5 million cap hit, it opens up an extra $1.075 million for Don Sweeney to spend on the main roster.

It also also the approach that is probably frowned upon a little. Kevan Miller earned his $2.5 million contract and it’s not his fault that the Boston Bruins now can’t fit him within their salary cap structure. People argue that demoting a 31 year-old and making him ride the buses in the American Hockey League is a significant step down and is a ‘classless’ move by his team.

On the flip side though, maybe Kevan Miller views a move like this as a chance to prove his worth and potentially earn a new NHL contract elsewhere. Maybe, he is happy to head to Providence and serve as a veteran mentor for the young guns?

We obviously don’t know a great deal about what kind of person Kevan Miller is in the locker-room, but you hedge your bets given he served as captain in his NCAA days and was also given an assistant captain role during a previous stint with Providence; he’s likely a good guy.

Try to up-sell his right-side role?

Ignoring the injury concerns a buying team might have; you still have the ability to up-sell on the fact that Kevan Miller is a right-side defenseman. These are always in-demand across the league, though at 31 years-old maybe he’s the wrong side of thirty to really draw a ton of interest.

Perhaps there is a fit out there with a team not wanting to play its’ youngsters on the third-line pairing, rather preferring them to stay a full campaign in the American Hockey League, as has become more and more normal.

Maybe there’s a deal that can be done with the New York Islanders; they have cap space and a relatively average group on their right-side. However, given they’ve got $6 million tied up in Johnny Boychuk in that very position for 3 more years and Nick Leddy at $5 million on the left; maybe that’s a stretch.

The Anaheim Ducks have spots open and the cap space to take on a player like Kevan Miller. What’s more they’re reasonably going to be in the market to add a draft pick so maybe you can set up a transaction that adds a third or fourth for taking Miller off your hands, if you’re Don Sweeney.

It’s not going to be an easy task

Conclusion is, it’s not an easy task that befalls the Boston Bruins; convincing another team to take on Kevan Miller will undoubtedly cost some additional asset. Every General Manager in the league knows the cap situation and impact it has long-term for the Bruins’ restricted free agents. Unfortunately, that means every GM is going to be quite willing to take advantage of the situation.

You’d have to hope that Don Sweeney is savvy enough to get something done. What that something proves to be is the part that we’re not savvy enough to suss out.