Ryan Miller Trade Rumors: Buffalo Sabres Only Want ‘Proper Trade’

Ryan Miller trade rumors are heating up, but the Buffalo Sabres said they will only deal the All-Star goalie if they can get a “proper trade” in return.

Though rumors of Miller’s exit have lingered in Buffalo for nearly a year, Sabres management is speaking openly for the first time about their process of shopping the netminder. The team’s new general manager Tim Murray spoke about the trade, saying they were pursuing trades but that nothing was set in stone.

That tone has changed within the last day, with Murray making it sound as if a Ryan Miller trade was inevitable — as long as they could ensure good value in return.

“The route we’re looking at is to get value for him, to put him in a position to succeed as a… good soldier [to the Sabres],” Murray said, via NHL.com. “By trading Ryan to a contender, a good team that’s lacking only his position, I think that we’ve certainly not done a disservice to him and helped the organization in our own right. Our goal right now I think, on both sides, is to pursue a proper trade.”

Miller himself seems pretty resigned to leaving Buffalo, where he has been the undisputed starter since he moved up from the AHL full time in the 2005-06 season.

“I don’t want to close anything off right now but I know they’re kind of looking around for an opportunity, and I think that’s probably best for everybody,” he said.

The Ryan Miller trade rumors have been centered heavily on the St. Louis Blues, but other teams have reportedly been interested in the Team USA netminder. The Minnesota Wild have emerged as a possibility as well as the Washington Capitals.

Darren Dreger of TSN reports that Miller could even be dealt in a three-way deal with the Blues and Wild.

But with a little more than a week left until the trade deadline, its likely the Ryan Miller trade rumors will continue as long as he’s wearing a Buffalo Sabres jersey.