ST. PAUL, Minn. — K’Andre Miller remembers both times he’s been on the ice at the Xcel Energy Center, a 25-minute drive from Minnetonka, where he grew up.

“When I was nine, my mom surprised me with a birthday party and I got to ride the Zamboni,” Miller said. “And the other was a ‘Skate With The Wild’ event when I was five. So it’s been a little bit.”

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In normal times, Miller would have already made his NHL debut here, in front of a large contingent of friends and family. But the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season meant the Wild and Rangers didn’t play at all, so Tuesday’s visit was the one circled for a long time. The 22-year-old defenseman has had several visits from his mother, Amy Sokoloski, since he made his arrival on the Rangers scene last season, but Tuesday will be something different and bring it full circle.

“They’ve been through it all with me,” Miller said of his family. “To share that moment will be pretty special.”

And Miller is back home a different player than he even was two months ago. The change in his on-ice demeanor is noticeable to the eye test and to the data. Mostly gone are the ugly gaffes that marked an inconsistent first 30 or so games, replaced by a much calmer presence, especially in the defensive zone.

“I think he’s just more comfortable making his reads,” Jacob Trouba said two weeks ago. “He’s definitely blossoming into his own.”

The data shows a player who hasn’t necessarily turned the Rangers into a possession monster while on the ice, but the numbers are decidedly better. Through his first 32 games, Miller had a 46.3 expected-goals percentage at five-on-five, with a 46.3 actual-goals percentage — both ranked in the bottom half of Ranger skaters over that span.

In the past 24 games, Miller is up to 47.6 xG percentage and a 62 actual-goals percentage, both in the top five on the team. Igor Shesterkin has a lot to do with the actual goals, of course, but the Miller-Trouba pair has steadied itself since a rough start to the year. Gerard Gallant recently called that pair “interchangeable” with the Ryan Lindgren-Adam Fox pair, which is a high compliment to Miller and Trouba.

“Just taking those baby steps, it’s not going to be an overnight thing,” Miller said. “Coming to the rink and finding those things you need to work on is the best way to improve. You have a couple good games in a line, you build that confidence really quickly.”

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There have been some Miller mentions on the rumor mill as the March 21 deadline draws nearer, but those are coming from other teams’ wish lists. It’s hard to see where general manager and team president Chris Drury makes a deal that would justify taking Miller off the roster — the Rangers’ strength on defense lies on the right side, with only Zac Jones, Matthew Robertson, Libor Hajek and Tarmo Reunanen down the left-side depth chart among the young players. If the Rangers make a move to add to their defensive depth, it will almost surely be a lefty to either supplant Patrik Nemeth or rotate in on the third pair. Trading Miller creates an even bigger hole.

Not to mention that the Rangers have known what sort of person they had in Miller from the day they drafted him in Dallas. That was evident on Tuesday when he was asked to come up with one of his strongest youth hockey memories after getting in a practice on the rink where he’ll play in front of a big crowd on Tuesday.

“One that sticks out the most., I wasn’t even there for,” Miller said. “I was playing for the national program in Michigan and my high school buddies won the state championship here. That was really special for our community, our city in Minnetonka. A really special time for my friend group.”

Tuesday will be Miller’s special time. Lindgren, another Twin Cities native, will have a large crowd on hand as well for his second-ever game here. For Miller, now on the clear upswing of a season that’s headed toward his first playoff appearance, this will be a night to remember.

(Photo: Justin Berl / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)