Jaroslav Halak's name has been trending in and around the NHL for weeks.
St. Louis net minder can't escape the rumor mill.
For over a month, the Slovak has been rumored to be heading to Buffalo or Philly. Where he would fit in the Sabres' plans is beyond me. Jhonas Enroth is the heir apparent to the Buffalo goaltending throne with Matt Hackett standing by closely in the wings. With each passing day, it seems that the buzz around Halak continues to intensify. Earlier this week, I read a piece in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that will only throw more fuel on the St. Louis three-alarm goal tending situation. Seemingly, the Halak trade speculation will only increase.
The story goes that Halak and his ultra demanding Ken Hitchcock locked horns and shared a high volume verbal disagreement last May outside a Blues team meeting in LA.
When word broke about the Halak-Hitchcock disagreement, people in St. Louis began to talk. For three months, the talk has continued to drone on.
In the court of public opinion, its hard for an oft-injured, under performing player like Halak to trump a Stanley Cup winning head coach like Hitchcock. Besides, Hitch is the general of his hockey platoon. Many a player have disagreed with him over the years, he has the veto power and the final word. That just how it is.
Halak is recovering and rehabbing from yet another injury that he sustained during the lockout shortened season. He and Blues second fiddle Brian Elliott will be UFA next July. Promising youngster Jake Allen is RFA right now.
Eventually, something's gonna blow with all of this pressure being forced through the goal crease pipeline in St. Louis.
Halak appears to be the odd man out for two reasons: His $3.75 million cap hit, and, his verbal altercation with "Hitch".
The news out of St. Louis is that Halak never left the St. Louis area when his team was spanked and sent packing from the NHL playoffs by the LA Kings. For two offseasons in a row, Halak and his blues teammates are left with a nasty, pungent tasty in their mouths, having lost two years in a row to the LA Kings in the playoffs. Hitchcock has had time to decompress from the depression of getting knocked out of the Stanley Cup tourney due to inferior goaltending.
Is Halak over it?
“I’m happy to be here,” Halak said. “I signed to play here for four years and I wanted to accomplish some goals when I came, and I haven’t done that. I still want to accomplish those goals.”
Of his argument with his head coach, Halak contends that its water over Niagara Falls.
“I wasn’t upset or anything,” he said. “A coach and a player have those discussions all the time. If someone hears it, obviously, they can make a big story out of it. But I don’t think it was anything bad. I was frustrated, I wasn’t playing. But I was injured and ... the whole season, the way it turned out, was just difficult.”
Halak admitted recently that he'd had enough and that he had to pop the cork and release some frustration.
“You know, when it’s enough, it’s enough,” Halak acknowledged. “Sometimes you keep it inside of you for a long time and then it gets out. Like I said, I wasn’t happy. I care about winning and about playing. I want the best for our team and at the same time, I want to play and help the team.”
Halak wants to stay and finish what he started in St. Louis. The first three years of his deal ended abruptly. He hopes to be in the Blue net for the fourth and final season of his contract.
“It’s fine, Halak said. “Even after we talked, it was fine. It was nothing to make a big deal out of. It’s not like we don’t talk anymore; it’s not the case at all.
“He gets passionate about the game and he doesn’t want to lose. And when he gets frustrated with a guy, he lets him know. And the other way around, if a player is unhappy or wants to speak up, he can speak up. That’s the policy, and that’s all it was.”
When healthy, as Sabres fans saw of him in Montreal when he and carey price were the Habs' 1-2 punch, Halak has been a difference maker. He won 26 games two seasons ago (six shutouts, 1.97 GAA). He combined with Elliott to earn the Jennings Trophy as the Blues allowed the fewest goals in the NHL.
In 2013, Halak posted three shutouts and 2.14 GAA. he suffered a groin injury. With Halak in the garage for repairs, hurt Elliott struggled in Halak's stead, which opened the crease to the kid Allen, who made the most of his opportunity and played very well.
If Halak had a magic wand, he'd have waved it by now and improved his injury problems.
“It was frustrating,” Halak said. “I got unlucky in the (2012) playoffs when I got injured. Then last season, it was unfortunate again for me, I just couldn’t recover from an injury. It was a weird season for a lot of guys. And it was really frustrating. I came back and I played a few games, but then we had the situation with three goalies, and that didn’t help, too.
“Then I got injured again … But that was all last season. So, I’m not worried about that anymore, I just want to train hard and get ready, and we’ll see what happens.”
Blues GM Doug Armstrong likes what he sees in Allen's development.
“Jaro and Brian Elliott won the Jennings Trophy just two short years ago. Last year was an interesting season in a sense of how quickly we started up, and neither guy had played. So if we go into this season with these three goalies, that’s excellent depth.”
Halak must see the writing on the wall.
“I can’t control if I get traded or not, or anything like that,” Halak said. “I just want to train hard and get ready and the rest is up to the management. Whether they keep me, or ‘Els’ or Jake, or whoever … I just want to play hockey and I want to enjoy it.”
My guess is that he gets moved out of St. Louis, perhaps in a blockbuster deal that includes Ryan Miller. Halak 's salary would be included in a deal that would have to include a forward like TJ Oshie or Chris Stewart. The arbitrator will hear Stewart's case on 7/22 in Toronto. If he's awarded $4.5 million per year or more, the Blues will have to seriously considering moving him. Pietrangelo is RFA and command a hefty yearly salary bump to $6.5+ million. Allen is RFA, as is Pajaarvi. The Blues don't have the luxury of double-digit cap space to sign all of their RFAs.
Armstrong can certainly stand pat and bring Halak, Elliott, and Allen to training camp and let them battle for the #1 and #2 jobs. Allen can play in the AHL. But isn't that what the blues chose to do last season? Do they want to suffer yet another first or second round playoff bounce-out at the hands of Jonathon Quick and the LA Kings? Hitch's blood pressure certainly can't take this kind of mercurial play. Up in the regular season, early exit from the post season. I think the Blues are looking to upgrade their net in a paradigm shift. Miller makes a ton of sense for the Blues. Who better to beat a young American goaltender-thorn in the side like Quick, than Ryan Miller?
Ristolainen was one of the best, most consistent players at Sabres prospects camp last week. He signed his three year entry level contract after camp adjourned on Friday night.
He'll come to Buffalo training camp in September with one thing in mind:
Earning a top six roster spot on the Buffalo blue line.
His NHL contract stipulates that if he doesn't make the Buffalo roster that he can be sent to the Rochester Americans. Ristolainen mentioned last week that if he didn't make the Buffalo roster in training camp that he would go home to play for Turku in the SM-Liga.
Based on what i saw of him in the Blue & Gold scrimmage plus in drills at prospect camp, he's got a great chance to make the Buffalo roster as the sixth or seventh D.
The Sabres hit the bulls eye when they were fortunate to draft Miller with their 5th round draft choice (138th overall) in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft.
Seems like it was just yesterday (2000-01) that Miller entered our collective consciousness when he won the 2001 Hobey Baker Award, awarded to college hockey’s top player. Miller became only the second goaltender to receive the Hobey (Minnesota’s Robb Stauber in 1988 was first).
He was named USA Hockey College Player of the Year, was tabbed College Hockey Player of the Year by The Hockey News. At Michigan State University, he was honored as Spartan hockey’s Most Valuable Player and won the George Alderton Award for MSU male athlete of the year. Miller led the U.S.in save percentage, GAA, wins, winning percentage and shutouts. His 10 shutouts in 2000-01 were second-best single-season effort in NCAA history. He set NCAA single-season record with .950 save percentage while 1.31 GAA was third-best in NCAA history.
In 2003-04, Miller made his pro debut, appearing in three games with Sabres, starting season opener @ Philadelphia (10/09) and home opener vs. N.Y. Islanders (10/11).
In 2004-05, Miller was awarded the Aldege “Baz” Bastien Award as the AHL’s top goaltender. He was named an AHL First Team All-Star. He set the Amerks’ all-time single season shutout mark with eight. He appeared in 63 regular season games, compiling a record of 41-17-4 and a 2.45 goals-against average. Miller led the AHL in victories (41) and saves (1,814), while ranking second in shutouts (8) and minutes played (3,738). He became the AHL’s first 40-game winner in four decades, since Gerry Cheevers in 1964-65, then claimed Top Goaltender honors in the All-Star Skills Competition for the second consecutive year.
The rest is history.
Miller is Buffalo's goaltender of the past and present.
The burning question today is whether or not he will be the Sabres' goalie of the future?
Doesn't it appear that way, what with the organization fully stocked and loaded top to bottom with quality young goaltenders like Jhonas Enroth, Matt Hackett, Andrey Makarov, Nathan Lieuwen, Connor Knapp, Linus Ullmark and Cal Petersen. At last week's development camp, I placed the goal tending under my own microscope. I wanted to see for myself if there is life after Ryan Miller. I went into the camp wondering if the Sabres have Ryan Miller Version 2.0 in their organization at this time. I'm here to tell you that the team hasn't seen this level of skill and talent on years. Should the team decide Miller this summer, or before September's training camp, the team is in good hands with Enroth and Hackett ready to split the goal tending duties as a 1A-1B tandem.
On April 26, Miller played his 500th career game in a Sabres sweater. In the building that night, it felt to me like Miller was saying his goodbyes to the loyal fans who have supported him in Buffalo since he arrived in Buffalo 13 years ago. Miller stole the show by making three huge saves in the shootout to preserve the victory. When it was time to say good night to the home crowd, Miller skated to center ice and said a heartfelt "Thank you" to the fans. He lingered as if to drink in the moment. He appeared to be moved by the experience.
Was he saying "Thanks" ir was he saying "Goodbye"?
Thanks, sabres.com
A lot has changed in 13 years in Buffalo. As human beings, we've all changed. Miller is no different. When we met him, he was a quiet, thoughtful early 20-something with his trademark bangs-down-to-his chin, Dave Grohl-inspired hairstyle. He preferred to do his talking on the ice. His game screamed "success". His verbal voice emerged two consecutive Eastern Conference Final runs in 2005-06 and 2006-07 when he became a go-to leader in the room. When leaders like Drury and Briere left town, Miller became the defacto leader in the room. Mature beyond his years, Miller amplified his leadership voice during the 2010 Vancouver Olympic run. Since then, the Sabres have missed the playoffs twice in the past three seasons. He found himself flexing his vocal muscles and biceps in the wake of the Milan Lucic mugging. His voice was heard loudly and clearly as an NHLPA leader in the recently resolved battle with the NHL owners.
He's all grown up now. He has grey streaks in his hair. He's lived through his own personal adversities. He's married. He's intensely loyal to his Steadfast Foundation.
He's grown as we've grown. He's not getting any younger. He has goals that he still wants to achieve. He wants to win a Stanley Cup or two. He should want to win a Cup. He should aim higher. Thats what competitors do, right?
With one year remaining on his current Buffalo contract, all signs point to Miller closing this chapter of his life in hockey and opening a new chapter elsewhere.
No matter where he plays, I will always be a fan of Ryan Miller. First and foremost, I'll respect him as a man for his steadfast dedication to charities, his family, and his teammates. The hockey part is just icing on the cake.
****
Darcy Regier held a presser during Friday's development camp Blue and Gold scrimmage. The Sabres GM said it appears as tough Miller will remain a Sabre until training camp, which opens in Buffalo in mid-September. Regier has had 83 days worth of conversations with other NHL GMs regarding Miller. He'll have 60 more days between now and the start of training camp. I see the Sabres moving Miller before camp opens so as to avoid the media crush that may cause a huge distraction for Enroth and all of the kids during a critically important training camp which will used to determine which top prospects earn roster spots in Buffalo and which ones will be sent to Rochester for more experience. Having a 33 year old Miller around during this the transition period will only cause confusion for the coaches and kids, in my opinion. Regier has his Ryan Miller irons in the fire. One or two will get hot in the next little while. Teams are working hard at clearing cap space right now to get to teh $64.3 million threshold. Arbitration hearings will begin next week in Toronto. Players like St. Louis power forward Chris Stewart and Edmonton center Sam Gagner will exercise their rights to have the arbitrator rule on their situation. Should the arbitrator grant a player-friendly, team-not-so-friendly award, the team can opt to do one of two things: pay the player the ruling amount, or, they can simply skate away from the player. I see Stewart and Gagner earning big arb awards. Will their teams accept the terms or will they look to move on? Stewart led the Blues with 18 goals and 18 assists during the 48 game, lockout shortened season in 2013. He earned $3 million for his efforts. Stewart will be seeking an average salary north of $4.5 million for multiple years. The Blues will have a tough time fitting a $4.5 million contract into its cap budget because the team still has to sign RFAs Alex Pietrangelo and Jake Allen. The Blues have $12 million is cap space committed to 21 players, however, they must use it to sign Pietrangelo to a $6.5+ million per year, multi-year extension. They must also sign RFAs goalie Jake Allen and the recently acquired Magnus Paajarvi. Stewart may be the odd man out if the arbitrator rules in his favor for $4.5+ million per season. He'd be a cap casualty in St. Louis. he'd be a welcomed addition in Buffalo.
As for gagner, he scored 14 goals and assed 24 assists for Edmonton last season. He earned $3.2 million. He's seeking an average salary north of $4 million per season.The Oilers have $7 million in cap space (22 players signed), however, they may not want to pay Gagner north of $4 million over the life of a 4-5 year deal, especially when they have a whack of RFAs and UFAs next Summer. Trading Ales Hemsky seems to be the logical move in Edmonton to free up $5 million in cap space, however, no GMs want to take on that hefty of an expiring contract for a oft-injured forward.
Perhaps Regoer is waiting until the arbitration hearings end in order to make a move for Miller. If St. Louis and Edmonton cannoit reach least minute agreements with Stewart and Gagner, respectively, perhaps their teams would consider trading with Buffalo. the Blues and Oilers each are looking to shore up their goaltending. The Blues have Halak and Elliott under contract for one more season. They will become UFAs on 7/1/14. Ditto the Oilers who have Dubnyk and LaBarbera set to go to the UFA market on 7/1/14.
HARBORcenter Development, LLC today announced that an agreement has been reached with Marriott International and Shaner Hotels to develop and operate the hotel facility at HARBORcenter in downtown Buffalo. The hotel property, which has been awarded a full-service Marriott franchise to be operated by Shaner Hotels, will be part of a $170 million multi-use hockey and entertainment complex in the Canalside District of the city.
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