It’s hard not to feel good for Ryan Miller. In fact, I think Ryan Miller almost feels guilty feeling good for Ryan Miller right now. The longtime face of the Buffalo Sabres was dealt on Friday from the basement of the Eastern Conference to the top of the Western Conference in St. Louis.
The deal shipped Miller, Sabres captain Steve Ott to the Blues for Jaroslav Halak, Chris Stewart and prospect William Carrier, a 2015 first-round pick and a conditional 2016 third-round pick. The move will carry a certain amount of pressure for Miller who was the hottest commodity on the trading window.
After spending his entire career in Buffalo spanning 540 games, Miller compiled a record of 284-186-56 with a goals against average of 2.60 with a save percentage of .916 and 28 shutouts. During his 11-year stint Miller’s Sabres only made the postseason four times. While his numbers remained consistently good in the playoffs the Sabres only advanced beyond the first round twice.
Ott and Stewart could be considered a swap of players that play a similar style. What Stewart lacks in leadership, he makes up for with a nose for the goal. Conversely, Buffalo’s former captain has never been known to light up the nets, but in the latter stages of his career has committed to spending less time in the penalty box. Both players should provide a considerable amount of sandpaper to their new lineup.
Halak has been the de facto starting goaltender in St. Louis over the past four seasons. Though he has split time with Brian Elliott, Halak’s numbers are quite impressive with the Blues. Like Miller and Ott, his contract expires this summer leaving him with a month and a half to audition for his next NHL gig. Of course, he could re-sign with Buffalo….
The big story is what Miller brings to the Blues. Considering they were already a Stanley Cup contender, does Miller elevate their status? Optimists would point to Miller’s performance in the 2010 Olympic games when he was named MVP of the tournament even though his United States lost in the final. Miller would also win the Vezina Trophy as the top goaltender in the NHL that year.
The glass-half-empty pessimist sees a 33-year old goaltender that has spent the majority of his career in a shooting gallery. In his 540 games Miller has faced 16217 shots, which averages out to 30 per game. That number is even more inflated over the 40 games this season with an average of 35 shots per game. During a comparable career span Henrik Lundqvist faced 15502 in 555 games (27 per game).
The hope in St. Louis is that Miller can play like the goaltender he was when he had great players around him. While he had the weight of a franchise on his shoulders in Buffalo, he’ll have the weight of Stanley Cup success in St. Louis. The pieces were in place for the Blues to make a legitimate Stanley Cup run and Miller’s arrival is a statement that the Blues aren’t satisfied with a strong regular season.
Ryan Miller is an easy guy to root for. His emotions were obvious as he addressed the media on his way out of Buffalo and it will be hard not to root for his success in his new home. Within a sniff of the Stanley Cup Final as a Sabre in 2006 and 2007, the Blues are hoping that Miller still has he fire to help them lift the cup for the first time in franchise history.