from Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail,

Is Miller the answer? He couldn’t help the St. Louis Blues get out of the opening playoff round against the Chicago Blackhawks. Miller actually had a better time of it at the start of the season, playing for the Buffalo Sabres, where he put up a .923 save percentage on a 15-22-3 record and a 2.72 GAA – decent numbers considering he was playing for the worst team in the league.

In St. Louis, considered one of the most defensively sound clubs, his save percentage dipped to .903, with a 2.47 GAA and a 10-8-1 record. But the Canucks needed more depth between the pipes, where Eddie Lack had a decent season for them (16-17-5, 2.41 GAA, .912) but probably wasn’t experienced enough to be a No. 1 goalie, with only Jacob Markstrom in reserve. So Miller, who was seeking a chance to play on a West Coast team, will get a chance to get his career back on the rails.

The new general manager in Vancouver, Jim Benning, began his front-office career, working nine seasons for the Sabres (1995-2004), which coincided with Miller’s draft year, 1999. So he was there at the beginning with Miller, through the three years at Michigan State and three more years developing with their AHL affiliate in Rochester. For most of Miller’s pro career, which included a Vezina Trophy in 2010, Benning worked for their divisional rivals, the Boston Bruins.

Presumably, Benning was satisfied that Miller, who will turn 34 on July 17, still has a number of good years left.

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