I am introducting a new segment to the blog, THE FORMAN FILES. These will be featured posts about certain players/coaches/teams etc. For the 1st Forman File I will look at the blockbuster trade between the Buffalo Sabres and the St. Louis Blues. I will analyze how this is a great opportunity for Ryan Miller, but a dream scenario for the Blues organization. Here we go...
The Trade:
Buffalo Sabres send G Ryan Miller and C Steve Ott to the St. Louis Blues for G Jaroslav Halak, RW Chris Stewart, Prospect William Carrier, a 1ST round draft pick in 2015 and a 3RD round draft pick in 2016.
Initial Analysis:
The Ryan Miller era in Buffalo finally comes to an end, and he finishes with a 284-186-56 record in 11 seasons playing for the Sabres. Miller had been rumoured to be traded the last few season but the Sabres always seemed hesitant to move their long-time franchise goalie. With all the mess surrounding the Sabres this season it was finally time to move Miller and they actually got themselves a great return. The Sabres get Miller's temporary replacement in Jaroslav Halak and a solid depth forward in Chris Stewart. However the most important part of the trade for the Sabres was the two draft picks simply because the team is in desperate need of a full rebuild. They also lose their captain Steve Ott in the trade, a guy who I believe will become a great role player in St. Louis, but that doesn't have the same effect as Miller leaving. This trade is great for the Blues but also good for the Sabres as well.
Why this trade is great for Ryan Miller
Miller has always been one of the best goalies in the NHL, there is no denying that. He also has been completely dedicated to the Sabres since the day he started playing for them, a loyal guy to the organization and to the team. He has been the anchor of that team for a long time and it truly will be weird to see him wearing a Blues jersey. However, in my opinion this is a big opportunity and a great situation at hand for Ryan Miller. The first thing right off the bat is that Miller will finally get to play for a dominant defensive team, something that the Sabres have lacked for years. Miller has always been able to have good numbers for the Sabres despite playing for a constantly changing defensive unit, but he now has the opportunity to play infront of a skilled and consistent group in St. Louis. Look at the comparison of the Sabres and Blues top-6 defenseman:
Buffalo: Jamie McBain-Henrik Tallinder, Christian Ehrhoff-Alex Sulzer, Mike Weber-Tyler Myers
St. Louis: Jay Bouwmeester-Alex Pietrangelo, Barret Jackman-Kevin Shattenkirk, Carlo Colaiacovo-Roman Polak
The Blues have a mix of skill, toughness and experience on their blue-line and Ken Hitchcock uses that to his advantage on a regular basis. The Sabres defense is constantly changing, inexperienced and really are almost the opposite of what the Blues play. Playing for the Blues is going to be a huge boost of confidence for Ryan Miller, because the best teams are committed to defense as an entire unit and the Blues play that tough, stingy defense that makes teams so hard to play against. Miller has the opportunity to do big things in St. Louis, suddenly teams might find it very difficult to score on the Blues if Miller gets in a groove. The absolute best reason this is a good fit for Ryan Miller is he goes from the worst team in the NHL to a playoff team, and as a goalie having a chance to play for the Stanley Cup is what its all about.
Why this trade is great for the St. Louis Blues:
I explained why I think this trade will be a great opportunity for Ryan Miller, but the real story-line of this trade is what this does for the Blues organization. I truly think this is a game-changer for the Blues, already one of the best teams in the NHL they are able to land one of the best goalies in the NHL without giving up anything serious from their current roster. Jaroslav Halak had an interesting career in St. Louis, he was great at times but also very inconsistent. Halak is a skilled goaltender when hes on his game, but Miller is an elite goalie and a huge upgrade for the Blues.
Then there is Chris Stewart, who has had an up and down time in St. Louis since being trade from the Avs in 2010. I was a huge Stewart fan before the trade, however I think he has fallen off quite a bit in the last few years. Stewart was very inconsistent in St. Louis, at times he was one of their best scorers and at other times he was a healthy scratch. Stewart is still only 26 and has a lot of good hockey left, but I think the Blues made the right move getting rid of him. The two draft picks were probably the biggest thing the Blues gave up, and the fact of the matter is in the current NHL if you want elite players you have to be willing to move draft picks.
The X Factor of this trade is Steve Ott, who the Blues received along with Ryan Miller in the deal. Ott was the Sabres captain at the time, and while he isn't the most skilled player he excels in a defensive role. Ott is a hard-working player who is a great penalty-killer and great on faceoffs. He will fit in perfectly on a Ken Hitchcock team; I picture him playing with Brenden Morrow and causing havoc for opponents. Ott is a solid player that I think will become very useful come playoff time.
Final Thoughts:
Before this trade the Blues were one of the best defensive teams in the NHL, having given up the 3rd least goals in the league (137). The result of this trade has the already defensive Blues team adding an elite goalie in Miller as well as a great role player in Ott. Who knows how this will play out in the long run, the NHL is so unpredictable these days that its hard to predict anything. But in my opinion this trade is a homerun for both Miller and the Blues, and it makes them an instant Stanley Cup contender this season. This ends the first segment of THE FORMAN FILES.
-Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff
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