With the Winter Olympics in Sochi done with and the NHL rosters unfreezing, Buffalo Sabres goalie and free agent-to-be Ryan Miller has once again popped up in trade rumors. The veteran goaltender has seemingly come up in trade speculation daily over the course of this season, and the latest buzz reports have him drawing interest from St. Louis.
According to the Digital Journal, Miller--who mostly backed up Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick for the United States Olympic hockey team at the Sochi Games but did get some playing time--is once again on the trading block.
Miller, 33, is having a solid season between the pipes for the Sabres despite the team being at the very bottom of the Eastern Conference heading out of the Olympic break. With the Sabres in rebuilding mode and Miller aging and setting up to hit the free agent market, Buffalo may pull the trigger on a deal to send the netminder out of town for the first time in his career.
According to the report, the Blues have expressed some interest in landing the veteran as the team sits in second place in the Western Conference and is looking for a deep postseason run. The Sabres (15-34-8) are looking for younger and cheaper talent, so the team is likely to move the goaltender before the March 5 NHL trade deadline.
Are the Washington Capitals also still interested in Miller?
The Blues (39-12-6) have been great thus far this season and are sitting atop the Central Division, but the team could pull a move to bolster their goaltending options down the stretch. The interest in Miller from the Blues is curious since they have solid backstops in Brian Elliott and Jaroslav Halak, however reports have indicated that the team could be interested in Miller.
One reason could be the fact that the team has dominated the last two regular seasons but burned out in the playoffs. The Blues finished first in the Central Division two years ago only to be ousted in six games in the Conference semifinals by the eventual champion Los Angeles Kings. The team finished second in the division last year only to be eliminated in the quarterfinals--once again by the Kings.
Ryan Miller has said he is unsure about his future with the Sabres.
The addition of Miller could make the team more confident down the stretch after a couple of disappointing playoff runs.
Miller is 14-22-3 for the Sabres through 39 games this season with a 2.74 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage.
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
