On July 18th, 2008 the Buffalo Sabres made a franchise defining move by resigning goaltender Ryan Miller to a 5 year, $31.25 million contract extension. Miller was about to enter in the final deal of his original contract.
For the first time in the past two summers, the Sabres have made a clear indication to their fans and franchise that they want to instill a sense of stability to their team. Avoiding such fates as those of Chris Drury, Daniel Briere and Brian Campbell, just to name a few, General Manager Darcy Regier locked up the first of his two major players who are entering the final year of their respective contracts. Regier stated in an AP article about the move that Millers consistency and playoff experience were motivating factors to making the deal as quickly as possible. They now intend to move onto prospective free agent Jason Pominville.
As late as a week before the deal was completed, there was rampant speculation through numerous sources, including this one, that if was not resigned this summer, Detroit would be the heavy favorite to land Miller next summer. Miller, who is originally from East Lansing, Michigan, was speculated into taking the same route as former Devils player Brian Rafalski did in going home to play for his boyhood team.
This move keeps the Sabres short-term playoff hopes alive simply by maintaining stability in the goaltending position. Miller, who is most known outside of Buffalo for his Mountain Dew Amp commercial rather than his goaltending prowess, is the perfect cornerstone for a franchise in desperate need of a solid foundation.
The problem with the Sabres can be summed in simply in their reluctance in spending to the NHL salary cap. Their refusal to cave into excessive contracts that larger market teams shell out their players saw major players leaving town in search of greener bank accounts. Their one mistake was overpaying for Thomas Vanek. Right now, the contract does not look to be a wise one with Vanek’s inability to shoulder the scoring load which Regier and Co. had hoped he would. Could the move pan out? Definitely. Especially with the major overpaying contracts of this past summer, the Vanek deal might just end up being a steal after all.
The Sabres have, however, stacked their farm system with numerous NHL ready players, biting at the bit to get their shot. When camp opens on September 20th, look for heated battles for spots on the 25 man roster. Buffalo will be in contention for one of the coveted 8 playoff spots next season thanks to keeping Ryan Miller focused on hockey and not an impending free agency. The question will be where the Sabres come out when the dust settles and how Miller’s teammates will support him throughout the season.
