Miller: We'll have a better plan
I just talked to Ryan Miller (he's getting ready for his brother's wedding in East Lansing, Mich.) and he's understandably happy and relieved about his new deal. You can read some of Miller's comments and listen to Darcy Regier's press conference at our updated Web story here.
One thing Miller was adamant about was that he understands he has to do a better job of handling his workload and he's ready to do that next year.
Said Miller: "If they put me in the same amount of games [as] last year this time, I'd be better prepared. We all want to put a better plan in place and I've approached them about that. We want to be smart about things, not get caught doing 30-some games in a row. As a goaltender, it's tough to do that every night. The whole gameday is a process for me. It's not just about going and playing the game. There was preparation 76 times and that was a new experience for me."
Miller knows he's getting paid like an elite goaltender now (I'm still juggling figures but it looks like he's going to be No. 5 next year). He's going to have to play like it and Lindy Ruff is going to have to allow backup Patrick Lalime to give Miller some nights off.
Giving Miller $6.25 million a year isn't a break-the-bank contract, particularly when the Sabres decided they weren't going to pay Brian Campbell the wild sums he ended up getting and bungled the Briere-Drury summer. You've got to feel good about how this summer is going but the Sabres really had no choice. Miller is the face of the franchise (name another Sabre who would get a national commercial deal!). The way the market is going, it might look like a great contract if he's playing at an All-Star level in the final years of the deal.
The Sabres, and Ruff in particular, have to be smart with Miller. If there's any hope of playoff runs, they can't burn him all season long. It seems reasonable to think 65-68 games would be a good number for Miller.
---Mike Harrington
