With the trade deadline looming, the art of predicting “Who’s going where?” takes knowledge of the game and of it’s players. In the case of the blockbuster trade which sent all star goaltender Ryan Miller to the Blues, no one saw it coming. No one except sophomore Kendra Slater, that is.

“At the beginning of the season, I projected Miller to go to a much better team than the (Buffalo) Sabres, specifically the Blues.” said Slater.

Ryan Miller, 33, is a very well known goaltender. Drafted in 1999, Miller has seen much national and individual success. He was named the NHL’s top goalie in the 2009-10 season, and won a silver medal and an MVP award in the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games. However, Miller’s NHl team, the Buffalo Sabres, have been a disappointment. In fact, the Sabres are ranked as the second worst team in the NHL in the 2013-14 season.

The St. Louis Blues are polar opposites of the Sabres. They are young, energetic, and they win hockey games; lots of hockey games. Going into the trade deadline in February, the Blues were leading the NHL in wins and points. Despite a dominating record, the Blues had goaltending issues. Jaroslav Halak, the Blues goaltender at the time, was coming off a disappointing Olympic performance and an injury.

In an effort to fix their imminent goaltending crisis, the Blues and the Sabres partook in the year’s biggest trade in the hockey world. The Blues traded Halak, forward Chris Stewart, and two draft picks to the sabres for Ryan Miller and veteran center Steve Ott.

With Miller making a drastic shift from the bottom of the league to the top, many people thought that the shock would cause Miller to play bad hockey in St. Louis. Fortunately for the Blues, Miller has been red hot since his arrival to the city. With a record of 7-2-1,0 Miller has been a huge help to the team’s late season playoff push and President’s trophy chances.

The Blues strong play and satisfying record have been hot topics at Westminster. The hockey team, as well as other students are mostly happy with the trade and are looking forward to the continuation of solid goaltending. Sam Haupfear, 7th grader and goalie on the B and C hockey teams at Westminster, is a fan of Miller.

“I am a goalie, so I look up to Miller. He’s a strong goaltender and he makes me strive to be a better player”, said Haupfear.

With Miller and the Blues success this season, many believe that this year could end the Blues 47 year Stanley Cup drought. With fast and strong forwards, solid defense, and now a veteran goalie between the pipes, this dream could finally be a reality.