Buffalo Sabres defenseman Colin Miller is one of four players at the position whose name has been thrown around the trade rumor mill.
For the Buffalo Sabres, the trade deadline is all about getting younger. And this gives the franchise plenty of reasons to sell come the trade deadline. Colin Miller is the likeliest of the four Sabres defensemen rumored to be on the move for two reasons:
- Contract
- Productivity
Like teammate Will Butcher, Miller has a large contract the Sabres wouldn’t mind shedding. Unlike Butcher, Miller has played better and would naturally draw more interest. Before suffering an upper-body injury, Miller was on pace for his best season since 2017-18, logging 12 points, 39 blocks, and 42 hits in 31 games. Miller also logged his highest amount of ice time since 2018-19.
Where is Buffalo Sabres defenseman Colin Miller most likely to land?
The Calgary Flames could likely work the phone lines with Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams for a potential trade that will send Miller north of the border. Why? Because the Flames, despite their success, struggle when two of their best players, Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau, are off the ice.
Combining Miller’s success earlier this year with his near-return to the ice, top contenders like the Flames that need help on the lower lines will see value in the defenseman. And the trade makes sense for the Sabres too. With Henri Jokiharju making his return to the ice at the expense of Mark Pysyk (another name being tossed around), head coach Don Granato has made one thing loud and clear: He’s playing the kids.
Miller, an established veteran in this league is a shoo-in to be traded to a contender. A team like the Flames who still need to figure out how to at least stop other teams from scoring when Tkachuk and Gaudreau are off the ice.
As of February 10th, the Flames sat at a +/- of (-10) when the duo wasn’t on the ice. With Miller showing both physicality and his willingness of sacrifice the body, he will be a good fit in Calgary.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)