The longtime Kings announcer, who retired at the end of last season following 44 years in the broadcast booth, will be recognized by the team with a statue in his honor.
The statue, to be unveiled Jan. 13 prior to a contest vs. the rival Anaheim Ducks, will be located outside of the Staples Center. Miller's will be the third statue revealed by the Kings, following Wayne Gretzky and Luc Robitaille.
Miller, 78, called 3,353 games as the team's broadcaster and witnessed Stanley Cup championships in 2012 and 2014.
Jaromir Jagr is set to make his debut with the Flames against the division rival Kings, one week after signing with Calgary as an unrestricted free agent, according to Sportsnet's John Shannon.
The Flames have posted a 2-1-0 record through their first three games of the season.
Calgary will be the ninth NHL club Jagr has suited up for over his illustrious career.
Jagr, 45, spent parts of the past three seasons with the Florida Panthers. He wrapped the 2016-17 campaign with 16 goals and 30 assists to finish fourth in Panthers scoring.
Exhibition is over and the games now count for real points. Despite the small sample size, some squads are already drawing many positives from the season's initial offering. Here are three teams that can celebrate exceeding expectations.
St. Louis Blues
Despite key injuries to forwards Alex Steen, Robby Fabbri, and defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, the Blues charged out of the gate for a perfect 4-0 start.
They've been powered to the NHL's best record by contributions from new face Brayden Schenn, acquired in an offseason deal with the Philadelphia Flyers, and center Paul Stastny, who can become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Jaden Schwartz has also chipped in with seven points.
Chicago Blackhawks
It seemed reasonable to assume the Blackhawks would take a step back this season, particularly given the inexperienced blue line the club pieced together over the summer. In the early going, though, Chicago's done anything but take a step back - the team stands atop the league with an eye-popping 21 goals in four games.
The Blackhawks have also been sound defensively, allowing just seven goals for a league-best plus-14 goal differential. After being reacquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets, Brandon Saad has wasted little time getting reacclimated to his old surroundings, tallying seven points. He's also sparking offense from captain Jonathan Toews, who is scoring above a point-per-game pace.
Vegas Golden Knights
Playing with house money is doing the trick for the Golden Knights. The free-wheeling expansion club came away with the victory in its first three games - an NHL record. A team that pundits nearly unanimously predicted would finish in the league basement is leading the Pacific Division and enjoying the first phase of its inaugural season.
Among the many key contributors for the Golden Knights, two stand out: three-time Stanley Cup champion goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who's allowed just four goals in three contests, and James Neal. He lost to Fleury's Penguins in this spring's final while with the Nashville Predators, but now he's putting on a show in Sin City, notching five goals in three games.
The St. Louis Blues received devastating news Wednesday when they learned young forward Robby Fabbri will miss the entire year after he injured the same knee which he had surgically repaired this offseason.
A long list of key injuries could leave Blues general manager Doug Armstrong little choice but to explore the market in order to help his ailing club. With that in mind, here are three options he should consider:
Run with a rookie
Before looking elsewhere, the easiest and cheapest option for St. Louis is to promote from within. The team already has little cap space to work with - about $2.2 million, according to CapFriendly - and moving Fabbri's entry-level deal to the long-term injured reserve doesn't free up much more wiggle room.
As training camp cuts loom, several young forwards have put on a show to make final decisions difficult for Blues' management. Center Ivan Barbashev is among those who have impressed in exhibition action, as he's picked up three points in four contests. The Russian forward was selected 12 picks after Fabbri in 2014.
Also intriguing is Klim Kostin, added this year with the draft pick acquired for Ryan Reaves, as he's scored two goals in four games.
Make a deal for Duchene
Colorado Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic has been patient in finding the right return for center Matt Duchene, and an opportunity may have fallen into his lap with the Blues.
The Avalanche have insisted on getting an up-and-coming blue-liner in return, and St. Louis may have the perfect center piece of a deal in Vince Dunn. The 20-year-old defenseman is among the 32 players remaining at Blues' camp and looks poised to push for a spot after he posted 45 points in the AHL last season. Could the Blues package Dunn plus a high-end pick (and a contract, for salary cap considerations) to get a deal done?
Duchene's addition would also shore up the Blues in the middle of the ice. The team rolled the dice on newly-acquired Brayden Schenn, with the plan to use him as a center despite him seeing more time on the wing while with the Philadelphia Flyers. Alongside Paul Stastny, the pair make an interesting one-two punch, but adding Duchene further solidifies St. Louis at center.
Dive into free agency
The Blues can also try their luck in free agency to cover Fabbri's loss. While the options are limited, free agency brings the advantage that it only costs cash - no other assets required.
On one hand, St. Louis could be the next destination for the legendary Jaromir Jagr, who remains unsigned despite his pleas via social media.
But a more likely scenario could be veteran winger Jarome Iginla, also in the hunt for NHL work. After struggling with the Avalanche last season, Iginla looked rejuvenated through his short tenure with Los Angeles, as he recorded nine points in 19 games. Signing in St. Louis would also reunite Iginla with Armstrong, who was with the Dallas Stars when the team drafted him more than two decades ago.
A fifth-round pick by the Colorado Avalanche in 2013, Butcher spent the past four seasons with the University of Denver, wrapping up the 2016-17 campaign with 37 points in 43 games.
The season ended on a high note for Butcher, as he captained Denver to its first national championship since 2005. He also won the Hobey Baker Award, presented to the NCAA's top player.
Butcher's signing comes three days after former Devils draft pick Alexander Kerfoot signed a deal with the Avalanche after he failed to come to terms with New Jersey.
The Flames acquired Lazar from the Ottawa Senators at last year's trade deadline, parting with defenseman Jyrki Jokipakka and a second-round pick in this summer's draft.
Lazar was a first-round pick by the Senators in 2013, but struggled to gain footing with the organization. He appeared in 33 games with Ottawa last season, tallying a single point. Following his trade to the Flames, Lazar notched a goal and two assists in four games.
Lazar won the Memorial Cup with the Edmonton Oil Kings in 2014, and a year later, was a part of Team Canada's gold-medal squad at the world juniors.
The free-agent blue-liner has signed a three-year contract with the Winnipeg Jets that carries a $4.33-million cap hit, reports TSN's Darren Dreger.
Kulikov comes to the Jets after spending one season with the Buffalo Sabres. He was dealt to Buffalo last June, but a series of injuries limited him to just 47 games on the campaign, in which he finished with two goals and three assists.
Prior to joining the Sabres, Kulikov spent seven seasons with the Florida Panthers.
Free agency is just around the corner and general managers have their wallets at the ready. A handful of top players headline this summer's crop, but cap concerns from past deals could keep at least three teams out of the bidding:
Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks needing to shed salary has become an annual event. It's the price you pay when you rack up three Stanley Cups in six years, and then fork out big-money deals to keep the band together.
But not only have rich contracts hurt the Blackhawks, so too have deals where cheap, young talent was exported to give Chicago some necessary cap relief.
Interestingly enough, the Blackhawks re-acquired Saad last week, sending Artemi Panarin to the Blue Jackets. The two wingers have the same cap hit, but with Saad signed through 2021, the Blackhawks avoid the future financial challenges that would have come with extending Panarin, whose contract expires in two seasons.
This summer, Chicago is the lone team exceeding the $75-million salary cap, as the Blackhawks sit nearly $3 million above the cap ceiling. They'll have the offseason to become compliant, but it won't be easy.
Winger Marian Hossa, who will sit out next season due to a progressive skin disorder, can be placed on long-term injured reserve, relieving the team of his $5.275-million cap charge. But Chicago must first be under the cap before that move can occur.
That means someone else is on the outs, with the long-rumored candidate being center Marcus Kruger, whose cap hit is about $3.1 million. Removing his contract without money coming back would ease things for Chicago, but doing so would likely take another high draft pick or quality young player from an already depleted prospect cupboard.
While Chicago's lack of cap flexibility should keep the team from making much noise this offseason, the Blackhawks already have a full roster signed through next season, with no notable free agents in need of new contracts.
Minnesota Wild
The Wild have long been rumored to be shopping a piece from their impressive defensive collection, a seemingly necessary deal to right the team's salary cap structure.
Dealing from the team's position of strength should also help the Wild bulk up elsewhere, with GM Chuck Fletcher interested in adding another center to his lineup.
As for the forward ranks, the Wild have just eight skaters under contract, meaning the team must sign at least four players before the season starts. That includes Mikael Granlund and Nino Niederreiter, both restricted free agents who will command top dollar on new deals.
Granlund had a breakout season last year, posting a career-high 69 points to lead the Wild in scoring. He'll want to be paid accordingly. Same with Niederreiter, who achieved career bests in goals, assists, and points last season to finish fourth in team scoring behind Granlund, Eric Staal, and captain Mikko Koivu.
Both Granlund and Niederreiter are due significant raises, and combined could cost the Wild more than $10 million. That would leave Minnesota with little cash to spruce up the rest of the roster, with two more forwards and another blue-liner or two on the shopping list.
Limited cap funds will also take the Wild out of the sweepstakes for center Martin Hanzal, who was acquired from the Arizona Coyotes at last year's trade deadline. That deal cost the Wild a combination of draft picks, including a first-rounder at last week's entry draft.
Minnesota is not expected to bring back netminder Darcy Kuemper, a pending unrestricted free agent, leaving the Wild to explore free agency for a backup to compete alongside Alex Stalock for the No. 2 position.
Washington Capitals
T.J. Oshie can remain a key contributor in the coming seasons, but there is no denying his recently signed eight-year extension does no favors for the club in the long-term.
Oshie's signing brought the Capitals to more than $57 million against the salary cap, meaning Washington now has less than $18 million to fill out the remainder of its roster, with five forwards, three defensemen, and a backup netminder left to sign. No doubt it will be a busy offseason for GM Brian MacLellan.
Oshie was just the first big contract signing for the Capitals this summer, particularly up front, where Justin Williams and restricted free agents Andre Burakovsky and Evgeny Kuznetsov are in need of new deals.
It's fair to assume Kuznetsov, who hasn't missed a game over the past two seasons and has averaged 0.83 points per game over that time, will see a big-ticket deal of his own, likely coming in around $6 million annually. Meanwhile, Burakovsky should cost about half of that figure, leaving little wiggle room for Washington to retain Williams. The veteran forward boasts an attractive playoff resume that is sure to draw several interested suitors in free agency.
The Capitals' defense doesn't offer a much clearer picture either. Power-play specialist Kevin Shattenkirk, who the Capitals brought in from the St. Louis Blues at the trade deadline, is considered the top free agent available, but he isn't likely to stay in Washington.
Fellow defenseman Karl Alzner is also receiving plenty of calls in the lead-up to free agency. The veteran defender has drawn interest from a host of teams, including the Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens, and Winnipeg Jets, so there is no guarantee he'll return for another term in D.C.
Losing both, in addition to Nate Schmidt, who the Vegas Golden Knights claimed in the expansion draft, decimates a Capitals blue line that has just four defensemen under contract next season. Cap concerns could force Washington to seek out more affordable options via free agency, or to promote from within. Candidates like Christian Djoos and Madison Bowey played key roles for Hershey in the AHL last season and could see a move up to the big club.
Defenseman Dmitry Orlov, also a restricted free agent, is another top priority for the Capitals. But getting the Russian-born blue-liner to agree to a new deal could come with further challenges, as he could draw interest from the KHL. Backup goaltender Philipp Grubauer is also due a new contract.
