I attended Tuesday's Sabres/Rangers game as fan for one of the few times this season, and it was nice to see them, and Jhonas Enroth, finally get a win. Plus, it was in regulation, which the Sabres have only done seven times this season.
While I was at the game, I received a text stating a rumor that Ryan Miller's days are numbered in Buffalo and that the Kings have interest in him. This season already feels odd without Lindy Ruff behind the bench, but it's hard to picture the Sabres without Miller in goal.
It may be a good time to trade Miller, though. He'll enter the last year of his contract next season with a $6.2M cap hit.
Buffalo clearly needs some help right now and it looks like more change is on the way. It's not only what the Sabres could get in return for Miller, but who would replace him.
Jonathan Bernier from the Kings is a former 1st round (11th overall) pick. He's 24 years old, but hasn't seen much playing time as the Kings backup. However, Bernier has put up respectable numbers over the past few years and has a career .911 save percentage and a 2.43 goals against average in 55 games played. I wouldn't mind giving him a shot as the starter.
While Miller usually gets the loudest ovation at the First Niagara Center, I think fans are starting to get sick of him. Miller gets blamed for many losses that aren't really his fault. The defense often leaves him out to try and Miller is just expected to bail them out.
Miller has really only had one great year in Buffalo, statistical wise and that was the olympic year. I think he would excel even more on a different team with a competent defensive unit. Plus, he's 32 years old, so he may not have very many seasons left in him.
The Sabres started the season 2-0 and we looked like a good team. Now Ruff is gone and Miller may be on his way out. Just doesn't feel the same, but this team does need change.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The league has proposed a new alignment that has been approved and will go into effect next season.
Regular season: Instead of having six divisions and two conferences, the NHL will go down to four conferences. The schedule matrix would see each team play teams in the other conference both home and away. The Sabres would be in with Ottawa, Boston, Montreal, Toronto, Detroit, Florida and Tampa Bay. Here are what the Conferences will look like:
Each team will make a visit to every arena next season, so Buffalo will host every team at least once. There will be 30 games within the conference, 24 against the non-division conference and 28 non conference matchups. The Sabres will also play each of the Western teams twice next season, once at home and one on the road.
Playoffs: The playoff format calls for the top three teams in each division to earn postseason berths. The remaining four spots will go to wild cards, the top two records in each conference. That means there's a possibility five teams make it from one division and only three from another.
The new plan calls for divisional playoffs, not conference playoffs as the NHL currently has. The division winner with the most regular-season points will play the lowest-seeded wild-card team in the first round, with the other division winner playing the other wild-card team.
The teams finishing second and third in each division will play in the first round of the playoffs. The winners of each series will play for the divisional championship.
Buffalo will be playing Detroit a few times a season and will compete with them for a playoff spot every year. By creating an eight team division, I think Buffalo will have a tough time making the postseason. They may have to rely on a wild card spot, but they'll have to beat out all other teams, and not just the ones in the same conference.
Buffalo Sabres Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»