How much value do former Buffalo Sabres bring to their new teams?

Colin Miller, Dallas Stars

Colin Miller was the one older defenseman I thought would have an outside chance to remain with the Buffalo Sabres. He performed admirably, scoring 14 points in 38 games of action. Miller also recorded 42 blocks and 50 hits in that span, putting him on pace for 30 points, 90 blocks, and 108 hits over 82 games of action.

Unfortunately, injuries sealed Miller’s fate and the Sabres let him walk. So the Dallas Stars went out and signed Miller to a two-year deal worth an AAV of $1.85 million. An experienced defensemen who can label himself a journeyman, Miller is good at moving the puck from the defensive and through the neutral zones.

My expectation is that Miller slides into the lower pairing of the Stars defensive rotation and, if healthy, can be a scoring threat. He was also in a less-than-ideal, but understandable, position in Buffalo, playing for a team that was slowly phasing out its older defensemen in favor of younger talent.

A team like the Stars is a better fit for Miller, since they are further along than the Sabres and can use an older veteran as opposed to giving the nod to younger talent, which is what the Sabres were rightfully doing.

Overall, I think we will see flashes of the player who enjoyed a solid two-season stint in Vegas. And having signed a one-way contract, the Stars are going to demand a better performance.