from Adam Proteau of The Hockey News,

As speculation intensifies over the future of Ryan Miller, there’s one thing that’s clear to me: it makes more sense for new Sabres GM Tim Murray to trade him sooner than later. The closer we get to the NHL’s March 5 trade deadline, the better the chance Buffalo gets pennies (or maybe not even a single penny) on the dollar for the franchise’s most important player of the past decade. And the potential for that happening should keep Murray awake 24/7 until Miller is an ex-Sabre.

Let’s get to the “we knows” pertinent to Miller’s situation: We know there are GMs who prefer to act well in advance of the deadline and head off the temptation to get in a bidding war against (a) their counterparts; and (b) the clock itself. We know the goaltender market is a buyer’s market at present. And we know Miller is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this year.

Do any of those factors suggest to you that Murray would be best served to bide his time and let the trade partners come to him? They shouldn’t.

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