K’Andre Miller did not play in the Rangers’ 7-3 loss to the Maple Leafs on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden due to what was described as personal reasons.
It was just the seventh game the 23-year-old defenseman has missed in his three-year NHL career.
Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette declined to elaborate on the situation or say whether Miller’s absence would be for more than just a single game.
“Right now, it’s just personal reasons for Key,” he said. “We’re going to leave it at that.”
As a rookie, Miller missed two games due to an upper-body injury and one due to COVID-19. He then missed three contests last season when he was suspended for spitting on the Kings’ Drew Doughty.
Without Miller, Zac Jones drew back into the lineup for the first time since Nov. 27. He returned to his usual post on the left side of the bottom pair alongside Braden Schneider.
Jones had a run of 10 games in November after Adam Fox landed on long-term injured reserve with a lower-body injury.
The Ryan Lindgren-Fox pairing remained intact, while Erik Gustafsson replaced Miller on the left side of captain Jacob Trouba.
For precautionary reasons, the Rangers called up defenseman Matthew Robertson for the first time in his career.
A second-round pick (49th overall) in 2019 by the Rangers, the 22-year-old blueliner has only participated with the NHL club in training camp or as a member of the taxi squad.
In 22 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack this season, Robertson has eight assists and 14 penalty minutes.
Robertson was returned to the AHL at the conclusion of Tuesday’s game.
The Rangers have a special set of eyes on their first-round (23rd-overall) pick from last year, Gabe Perrault.
“I talked to my daughter, she goes to Boston College,” Laviolette said. “She tells me Gabe’s doing just fine. She goes to all the games, she texted me and said he had a beauty the other night. I’ve got my own personal scout at the game, she’s doing a great job with it.”
Perrault has five goals and 20 assists in his first 17 career games at BC.
The Blueshirts are expected to practice Wednesday and Thursday before they wrap up their current homestand against the Ducks on Friday. They will then venture to Boston on Saturday
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