Buffalo Sabres Trade Rumors: Ryan Miller Landing Spots, Could Steve Ott Be Traded?
The Buffalo Sabres are a mess, and with the recent news that they won’t be resigning Ryan Miller at the end of the season means there will presumably be a deal before the trade deadline. We’re just left unsure of when it will happen, and where Miller will be packing his bags for.
Miller has Buffalo’s hands tied with a no trade clause, giving them fewer options for moving Miller. Focusing on teams that Miller would more than likely allow, the St. Louis Blues are good defensive team, and their offense has been really good thus far. St. Louis is 7-1-2 so far this season and were openly involved in talks for Miller before. The Blues are off to a great start, and moving for Miller could be a great move for them. Miller is a solidified number one, and he possess veteran attributes that are key to playoff success.
The St. Louis Blues have Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott in their books for the remainder of their season, but if the Blues could put something clever together, they could be a legitimate landing spot for Ryan Miller.
With the recent new of Semyon Varlamov‘s court case, depending the outcome, would it make sense for the Avalanche to go after Miller? We’re still unsure of what will unfold in the situation at hand for Varlamov, but the Avalanche were rumored to be after Miller this summer. The Avalanche are off to a great start, surprising a lot of people with the way they’ve been able to play hockey this season, and if they lose their starting goaltender, they would have to rely on Jean-Sebastien Giguere.
Giguere’s played extremely well this season. He’s played in three games and earned a shutout in two of them. If the Avalanche are uncomfortable with Giguere manning the net for the entirety of the season, Ryan Miller could be a great option for the Avalanche, and for more than this season. The move would be able to fix the Avs goaltending situation in the short term, while they wait to release Varlamov at the end of the season when his contract is up. The Avalanche would more than likely lock up Miller by the end of the year, improving their goaltending over the long term as well.
The Sabres have already dealt their other hot commodity in Thomas Vanek, but what about Steve Ott? Could the Sabres trade Ott? Sure, but would they? Why not? Steve Ott is 31 years old, and still has plenty left in the tank. Ott is a gritty player that excels in getting under opponents skin. Ott could generate some decent trade value for the Sabres, and his $2.95 cap hit could make him an easy move.
Ott would fit in well and be welcomed by most teams. Players and coaches would sleep easier knowing Ott’s on their side now, and won’t be reeking havoc on them in the coming nights. Possible landing spots? The Detroit Red Wings have a surplus of third and fourth line forwards they could move, as well as prospects and draft picks, and the Wings could use a bit of muscle, and even more so if they move Jordin Tootoo.
The Dallas Stars drafted Steve Ott in 2000, and he played with the Stars for nine seasons. The Stars are off to a bit of a slow start, and they could use a bit of help. Ott has ties in Dallas still, including former Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff. The Stars could be a spot for Ott to go if the Sabres look to move him this season, other wise his contract is up at the end of the season and he’ll likely be looking for a new home anyway.
The trade deadline is quite a ways away still, but as we saw with Vanek, the Sabres are willing to pull the trigger now on a trade if the right price is presented.