Miller Lite

With the first round of the NHL playoffs almost complete, we will take of some of the prized free agents that will be available from the teams that are not moving on.

Ryan Miller – One of the biggest deals that happened before the trade deadline saw Ryan Miller and Steve Ott traded to St. Louis for Jaroslav Halak, Chris Stewart and a 1^st round pick in 2015 and a conditional pick. This deal was made to solidify the Blues’ goaltending which would allow them to go deep into the Stanley Cup finals.

What was supposed to be Miller Time turned out to be Miller Lite. In 19 regular season games Miller posted a 10-8-1 record with a 2.47 GAA and a .907 save percentage. A very subpar performance for a goalie that had a .923 save percentage and a GAA of 2.72 for the worst team in the league.

Miller posted a horrendous GAA of 2.70 and a save % of 0.897 against the Hawks. With two losses in overtime, Miller was unable to steal a game for the Blues and looked uncomfortable in net at the best of times.

Thank you Blues fans for supporting us and especially welcoming me to your city. It is an awesome place to play. Great passion and pride!
— Ryan Miller (@RyanMiller3039) April 29, 2014

Where does this leave Miller? Will he resign in St. Louis? Is he Anaheim bound?

St. Louis’ GM Doug Armstrong has already come out and said that Jake Allen will be with the team next season.

Interesting RT @Jkellyhockey Doug Armstrong says Jake Allen will be with the Blues next season.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) April 29, 2014

The 23 year old Allen put his time in with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL this season. Posting a record of 33W 16L 3 T and 7SO, Allen is ready for his time in the NHL. With an $800,000 cap hit, walking away from Miller can be an easy decision for the Blues.

Fantasy Impact: Fantasy Owners should target Jake Allen in all drafts. He should definitely slide a bit in drafts but he will be given every chance to win the #1 job in St. Louis. Ryan Miller will look to try and resign with St. Louis but should available on the first day of free agency for the highest bidder. Though his perceived value has taken a hit because of a poor performance, Miller will have to lower his expectations in regards to salary and destination based on his poor performance in the playoffs.

Anaheim is in a bind with Hiller being a free agent on July 1 and youngsters John Gibson and Frederik Andersen pushing for more playing time. It will be a crowded crease for the Ducks and may leave Millers’ first choice out of reach.

The goalie market will definitely be a volatile market and owners of Miller and Hiller will have to sit patiently and wonder how it will play out.

Mark