Former Montreal Canadien netminder Jaroslav Halak has gone from the penthouse to the pavement, as he was traded from one of the top teams in the NHL to the very worst Friday in a blockbuster deal.
The Buffalo Sabres sent Ryan Miller and Steve Ott to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Halak, Chris Stewart, William Carrier, a first-round draft pick in 2015 and a third-round draft pick in 2016.
The Blues, a serious Stanley Cup contender, were unhappy with their goalie tandem and consider Miller, 33, the missing piece of the puzzle.
Miller has a 2.72 GAA and a .923 save percentage this season with the Sabres.
Halak, 28, had a 24-9-4 record 2.23 GAA and a .917 save percentage.
Halak was best known for his miraculous play in the 2010 playoffs in which his spectacular netminding helped the underdog Canadiens win series against both Washington and Pittsburgh. He was later traded to St. Louis for Lars Eller in a deal which left many Habs fans complaining that the team should have traded Carey Price instead.
With the trade the Sabres now possess 10 picks in the first two rounds of the 2014 and 2015 drafts combined.
