Ott and Miller will likely join the Blues in Phoenix on Sunday for their game against the Coyotes, the Blues said.
The Sabres had been actively shopping Miller. Sabres GM Tim Murray said Tuesday night he wanted to "put him in a position to succeed." Ultimately, the deal was completed about an hour before Buffalo's game on Friday against the San Jose Sharks.
Miller leaves the Eastern Conference basement-dwelling Sabres (17-34-8) to join the Central Division-leading Blues (39-13-6). Miller spent 12 seasons with the Sabres, finishing his time there as the team leader in with 284 victories and 540 games played.
Understandably, the trade hit the goalie hard.
"I don't know if I'll make it through this, so let's keep it quick," Miller said at a press conference during the first intermission of the Sabres game, his voice already quaking. "I'm really going to miss this part of the world."
But Miller did see the opportunity presented by the deal.
"It's definitely humbling and flattering that they would make that kind of move and bring us in with the intention of giving them some help to push for a Stanley Cup," Miller said. "We're excited for the opportunity there. But also, it's about the responsibility we have to that organization to show up and get up to speed and compete as hard as we can to live up to the trade."
The difference in Miller and Halak? Miller gets a hero's welcome with a team considered a Stanley Cup contender. Halak leaves St. Louis having underachieved in the playoffs and with his stock at an all-time low following a miserable Olympics.
Ott was the Sabres' captain. He likely will slot into a right wing position for the Blues, and he can fill in for injured Vladimir Sobotka at center.
Stewart, a streaky scorer, has the makings of a power forward without the gumption to be consistent. Carrier had a solid training camp for the Blues and is perhaps the best Sabres pickup in the deal, given his upside for a rebuilding team.
The Blues shored up their goaltending in an attempt to avoid another disappointing playoff run after being eliminated by the Los Angeles Kings in consecutive seasons.
"The deal was made on the here and now," said Blues GM Doug Armstrong. "We'll worry about the future after the season. Obviously, Ryan Miller's resume speaks for itself. It gives us a better chance for success."
Miller won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best goalie in 2010, the year he was the Most Valuable Player of the Olympic tournament in Vancouver. With the Sabres struggling through the season, he's 5-22-3. However, he has a good a 2.72 goals-against average and .923 save percentage, and should be stronger behind a much better Blues defense. He's 284-186-57 with a 2.60 GAA and .916 save percentage overall.
The deal is the Sabres' first major move since Murray was hired as GM in January after Darcy Regier was fired.
Sabres coach Ted Nolan was set to start Miller on Friday, but the goalie and Ott did not take the ice for warmups and were scratched.
The Sabres acquired Ott from Dallas along with defenseman Adam Pardy in exchange for Derek Roy on July 2, 2012. Ott had 18 goals and 26 assists in 107 games for Buffalo.
Armstrong called Ott "an antagonistic player" with a "playoff pedigree." For his part, the player was excited about joining Miller in St. Louis.
"It's amazing. This guy right here is the best goalie in the world," Ott said. "He has been our best player, our MVP in Buffalo in a tough, tough season. To have that opportunity to go along with Ryan for myself, I know how great he is. Both of us want to live up to expectations."
Because the trade was so completed so close to game time, the Sabres had to scramble to find a backup to Jhonas Enroth.
They signed Ryan Vinz, a former high school goalie, who is employed as the director of hockey technology of the Sabres-backed HarborCenter facility, which is being constructed across the street from the team's arena. The complex will feature two rinks and a hockey academy. Vinz was a walk-on at Clarkson, but never played and wound becoming the school's video coordinator.
Halak was in his fourth season with the Blues after spending his first four years with Montreal. He has a 24-9-4 record with a 2.23 goals against average, a .917 save percentage and four shutouts this season.
Stewart has 15 goals and 11 assists in 58 games for the Blues this season, and 115 goals in a six seasons with Colorado and St. Louis.
Carrier, 19, was the Blues' second-round pick in 2013.
Contributing: Ray Slover, The Associated Press
