My take on the Sabres-Blues trade:
Tim Murray turned two thirty-something pending UFAs into a potential 30 goal scorer, a serviceable starting goalie, a prospect, a 1st rounder and a conditional pick that will become another first rounder if Miller re-signs with the Blues in July OR the Blues earn a berth in the 2014 Western Conference Finals.
Murray deserves an A+ grade for pulling off this blockbuster and snatching a boat full of valuable from Doug Armstrong.
Halak is also a pending UFA which Murray can flip for another first or second rounder at the March 5th trade deadline or at the June entry draft. Stewart is signed through 2015, has scored 28 goals twice in the NHL and is only just 26 years old right now. Carrier is a prospect with upside and may pan out down the road. The grand slam home runs are the 2015 first rounder. The likelihood of turning of turning the 2014 conditional third rounder into a 2014 first rounder is very good right now. With Miller and Ott, the Blues will be favorites to earn a berth in the WCF. I see no reason at all why Miller would not re-sign in St. Louis in July as his friends Derek Roy, Jordan Leopold, Steve Ott, David Backes, Kevin Shattenkirk, and TJ Oshie are familiar faces in the St. Louis room.
I'm cheering for the Blues to win and the NY Islanders to lose their remaining games this season.
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Blues GM Doug Armstrong has been scouting Ryan Miller for months. Armstrong decided before the Olympics that it was time to seriously consider taking a run at a difference-maker in Miller.
Armstrong told KMOX that he wanted Miller and he got him
“I didn’t think we had a huge issue with goaltending,… Armstrong said. “But we had a chance to get what we believe is a premier player in that position. So this wasn’t one where if it wasn’t Ryan Miller then we were going to pick up the phone and call other teams. This was either Ryan Miller or the guys that we had.
"I honestly can say that if we didn’t make this deal, I had the belief that (Halak and Brian Elliott) were going to be capable to get us deep into the playoffs and win a (Stanley) Cup.…
For Armstrong, there was a lot to like about Miller and his lifetime record of 284-186-56 with a 2.60 GAA and a .916 save %.
Miller's professionalism and his stellar play on the 30th place Sabres this season pushed Armstrong over the edge. Miller was 2.72 GAA and .923 save percentage for Buffalo during this often times gloomy NHL season.
“He has this little bit of swagger about him,… Armstrong said. “He’s got confidence. He’s at that age right now where he’s played on very good teams, he’s been to the (NHL) semifinals, he’s been through (an ownership bankruptcy), he’s seen it all, really.
“Now I think it’s important for him to play on a team that he believes has a chance to win. Selfishly, I think we have a chance to win and I think he makes us a little bit better. I think it’s what he wants, and I know it’s what we want.…
The next chapter of Ryan Miller's life begins in St. Louis today.
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Welcome to day one of the post Ryan Miller Era.
The team is not in action tonight. They will host their first ever "Unpucked" rock-n-jock event at First Niagara Center. Then, they will depart for Dallas on Sunday. Sans Miller and Ott.
Jaro Halak and Chris Stewart will be on the ground in Buffalo today. Per the stipulations of the trade, both players must pass their physicals with Buffalo by 11pm EDT tonight.
Once they are cleared to play, they will be meet their new head coach, teammates, assistant coaches, and training staff. Then, its off to the fly the friendly skies to a game roadie to Dallas, Tampa and Sunrise. The Sabres will be laid over in Tampa on Wednesday's NHL trade deadline.
Jaro Halak may be on the move again in the days to come. The teams that missed out on Miller and are still interested in trading fir a veteran tender may call Tim Murray, if they haven't already, to inquire about Halak.
Tim Murray said last night that he will continue to have more discussions with his NHL GM counterparts in the days to come. I fully expect Murray to continue having dialogue with one of his best friends in hockey, Minnesota Wild GM Chuck Fletcher, who still needs an upgrade in his own net what with the uncertainty surrounding his starter Josh Harding.
Minnesota was interested in Miller, however, in the end they lost their man to St. Louis.
Fletch needs a solution. He needs it now.
He and his staff are familiar with Halak and may go the trade route to land him. They can also make a deal for Carolina's Cam Ward, Edmonton's Ilya Bryzgalov or Florida's Tim Thomas.
Keep an eye on Minny in the days to come.
What about Washington?
George McPhee might be will to trade Braden Holtby or Michal Neuvirth to Buffalo in exchange for the veteran Halak.
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I missed Drew Stafford's raw, emotional interview with Brian Duff on Friday night's postgame show as I was in the Buffalo locker room speaking with players.
Stafford's adoration and respect for Ryan Miller is undeniable. Miller was a big brother to many of the young guys in the room. He was the glue that held the Buffalo room together for 12 years. Now he's gone. But not forgotten.
Thanks, Sabres.com
That's respect, folks.