The St. Louis Blues traded with the Buffalo Sabres on Feb. 28 for goaltender Ryan Miller to shore up the team's chances of a deep playoff run, however after the team finished with a disappointing first-round exit for the second straight season, it seems as though Brian Elliott is the team's long-term netminder.
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The Blues brought in Miller in hopes that he'd end the recurring trend of St. Louis having solid regular seasons but being unable to make a deep postseason run. It all started well for Miller and the Blues in the playoffs as the team took a 2-0 opening round series lead for the second consecutive postseason, however things slipped away quickly.
Just like they did in 2013, the Blues lost four straight games to blow a 2-0 series lead and ended up watching the rest of the playoffs from the sidelines. The defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks -- who ousted the Blues in that six-game series -- currently lead the Los Angeles Kings 1-0 in the Western Conference Finals.
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According to NHL.com, the Blues inked Elliott to a three-year contract extension worth $7.5 million on Monday. Elliott and Miller were both scheduled to become unrestricted free agents this summer, but now that Elliot has re-signed it seems as though the team is moving in a direction without Miller.
"Brian will team up with Jake Allen next season to form our goaltending tandem," Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said of the team's plans going forward, according to NHL.com.
Elliott, 29, was solid in the crease for St. Louis last season going 18-6-2 in 31 games while ranking second in the NHL with a 1.96 goals-against average and posting a .922 save percentage and four shutouts.
Elliott has spent the last three seasons with the Blues and set franchise records in 2011-12 for GAA (1.56), save percentage (.940), and shutouts (nine).
Miller, who spent his entire career with the Buffalo Sabres before being dealt to St. Louis, went 10-8-1 with a 2.47 GAA and .903 save percentage down the stretch for the Blues and then went 2-4-0 with a 2.70 GAA and .897 save percentage against the Blackhawksi n the Round 1 series. He'll now hit the open market in July.
The Blues went 52-23-7 and finished in second place in the Central Division, but after another quick exit from the playoffs the team has secured its goaltender for the future in hopes that stability will lead to success.
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