Miller Traded to St Louis- The Start of Chain Reaction?
Today a long standing rumour was executed as after almost a year of speculation, the Buffalo Sabres have traded long time goaltender Ryan Miller along with captain Steve Ott to the St Louis Blues in exchange for fellow goalie Jaroslav Halak, Chris Stewart, young prospect William Carrier along with a first round draft pick at the 2015 draft.
The 2010 Veniza trophy winner has been under fire the last couple of seasons as the Sabres' form has declined considerably to the point of being laughable (their standing at the bottom of the Western Conference clearly reflects this point). As one of the prime assets on the market and a Olympic Gold Medalist, Miller has been one of the most sought after players in this trade deadline. But in the press conference when the announcement was made, Miller was visibly upset at leaving his home of the last 11 years. He leaves behind an impressive legacy at the HSBC Arena with 284 wins from 540 games played with a GAA average of 2.60! He also beat the long standing winning record of Sabres legend Dominic Hasek in 2013!
As sad as it is to see their strongest link leave, I am happy that Ryan Miller is finally in a team that is constantly evolving and have a strong chance of being competitive in years to come. After acquiring Jay Bouwmeester from Calgary last year, St Louis' intentions are clear and I am beginning to have confidence in this once faltering team and the requisition of veteran bruiser Steve Ott help bolster the 3rd/4th line and give them a tougher edge with play-off s approaching. Buffalo haven't completely lost out as Jaroslav Halak has been in fine form for the Blues and who knows he could become vital in years to come!
However, the big question is will this be the factor that sets off a mass clear out in Buffalo? In times of late, there have been rumours of discontent among the ranks with D-Man Christian Ehrhoff stating that he would be happy to waive his no-trade clause and move on to newer pastures! Matt Moulson who only arrived in October when traded for Thomas Vanek is rumoured to be looking for a way out, and we all know he is one player who bring in many useful assets. The problem that the Sabres face, is what do they have to offer that will make their stars want to stick around? They are miles away from even being a wild card spot in the playoffs and their attendances are steadily declining!
New GM Tim Murray was hired from Calgary earlier this season to bring chance to this side and in fairness he has helped to stabilize the ship and the Sabres although still bottom are beginning to salvage some pride from a frankly awful season. Murray have ambition in the long run, but it is going to require some serious overhaul to get this team into shape and it will be some years before we see this team threatening the big boys!
Enjoy Missouri Ryan, at least you'll be the play-off's this year if nothing else!
The 2010 Veniza trophy winner has been under fire the last couple of seasons as the Sabres' form has declined considerably to the point of being laughable (their standing at the bottom of the Western Conference clearly reflects this point). As one of the prime assets on the market and a Olympic Gold Medalist, Miller has been one of the most sought after players in this trade deadline. But in the press conference when the announcement was made, Miller was visibly upset at leaving his home of the last 11 years. He leaves behind an impressive legacy at the HSBC Arena with 284 wins from 540 games played with a GAA average of 2.60! He also beat the long standing winning record of Sabres legend Dominic Hasek in 2013!
As sad as it is to see their strongest link leave, I am happy that Ryan Miller is finally in a team that is constantly evolving and have a strong chance of being competitive in years to come. After acquiring Jay Bouwmeester from Calgary last year, St Louis' intentions are clear and I am beginning to have confidence in this once faltering team and the requisition of veteran bruiser Steve Ott help bolster the 3rd/4th line and give them a tougher edge with play-off s approaching. Buffalo haven't completely lost out as Jaroslav Halak has been in fine form for the Blues and who knows he could become vital in years to come!
However, the big question is will this be the factor that sets off a mass clear out in Buffalo? In times of late, there have been rumours of discontent among the ranks with D-Man Christian Ehrhoff stating that he would be happy to waive his no-trade clause and move on to newer pastures! Matt Moulson who only arrived in October when traded for Thomas Vanek is rumoured to be looking for a way out, and we all know he is one player who bring in many useful assets. The problem that the Sabres face, is what do they have to offer that will make their stars want to stick around? They are miles away from even being a wild card spot in the playoffs and their attendances are steadily declining!
New GM Tim Murray was hired from Calgary earlier this season to bring chance to this side and in fairness he has helped to stabilize the ship and the Sabres although still bottom are beginning to salvage some pride from a frankly awful season. Murray have ambition in the long run, but it is going to require some serious overhaul to get this team into shape and it will be some years before we see this team threatening the big boys!
Enjoy Missouri Ryan, at least you'll be the play-off's this year if nothing else!
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