It just wasn’t a good season for the 29-year-old blueliner.
Our 2022 Buffalo Sabres player report cards continue today with a look at defenseman Colin Miller.
Total Season Stats: 38 GP | 2 G | 12 A | 14 PTS
Age: 29
Contract Status: UFA (earned $3.875 million this season)
It was a lackluster season for Miller with the Sabres this year, as he missed much of the season due to injury. He underwent surgery in mid-January to address the undisclosed injury, which sidelined him until mid-March. He also faced a late-season entry into COVID protocol which forced him to miss a few more games, then was scratched for a handful.
The injury directly impacted his trade value; while many thought he could be moved before the deadline, the Sabres held onto him instead. Now, he’s set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and it seems highly unlike he’ll play another game in a Sabres uniform.
Miller was the second-oldest defenseman on the Sabres this season, behind only the 30-year-old Mark Pysyk. Buffalo has an incredibly young core of defense, but between the injury and a high-ish price tag for low performance, it’s honestly hard to find any true ‘highlights’ of this past season for him.
Colin Miller blast puts the Sabres up 1-0 pic.twitter.com/NtzaeCnX15
— The Charging Buffalo (@TheChargingBUF) November 17, 2021
His injury also meant he wasn’t around for parts of the season when the Sabres finally started to find their stride. When he did play, he was often on the lowest-rung pairing or rotating in during practice rather than being on a designated pairing. He got some time alongside Mark Pysyk, Will Butcher, Casey Fitzgerald, Robert Hagg & even Jacob Bryson over the course of the season.
While I like the idea of Colin Miller & was initially pretty excited when he came to Buffalo, it just doesn’t seem like this is a good fit for either side right now. If I’m Kevyn Adams, I’m probably letting him walk this summer & looking some other options, either within the organization or outside.
Season Grade: D
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