I do like Nemec and always have, so I'm on board with him as an idea, I just think that a guy in his D+3 season having not gotten established in the NHL, true #1D is kinda off the table. I still think he'll be a good middle pairing RD, which is extremely valuable, I just have no interest in moving Eklund for him.
Next year will still be really bad, because the opportunities to improve our defense to "below average" are going to be limited. Grier will have to pull off several miracles. We may be better - we will not even vaguely be close to decent.
And yet it's pretty much always a pick or two, an okay prospect and some nobody. It's also not uncommon it includes someone who helps makes the money work
Well we are trying to come out of a rebuild at the wrong time, thats one thing. The cap being raised so quickly is not helping our rebuild, as other teams will no longer be as cash strapped and needing to shed salary.
Byram was traded 1 for 1 for Mittelstadt a year ago.
His lackluster play at 2C and his almost 6 mil hit for the next couple seasons tells me he may be very available for less. He’s always been an underwhelming player. He’s turning 27, has never scored over 18 and has hit 50 points twice. Wanna blame the graveyard in Buffalo? His numbers in Colorado are somehow worse.
In what universe? I think Colorado would have jumped all over a Granlund for Mittelstadt deal. And that's just 1/3 of the package.
I think Byram is moving because Buffalo is too jammed with bodies and salary at LD. Obviously can move some of those guys to their off side, but Dahlin, Byram, Power, and Samuelsson are all LD 24 and younger and all will be on long-term deals until 2030-2032 (if/when you re-sign Byram).
When I read Dahlin 24 and younger took me aback a little
. Seems Dahlin been around for ten years or so
Personally, if I were Buffalo I would trade Power or Samuelsson (who isn't any good anyway) well before I would move Byram. Byram is better than Power but Power would probably have more trade value from being a former first overall pick and 6'6" and signed long-term. The main reason I'm advocating for acquiring Byram is that he said he wants to be the clear-cut #1 guy on his team and we're just about the only team who he could be that on, so he might actually want to be here. His refusal to sign with Buffalo, if that were to happen, would be the impetus for Buffalo being willing to move him for a package of futures, which they certainly wouldn't do otherwise.
Watch he maneuvers his way onto the Sharks only to have Schaefer supplant him as the #1 D after one season. That would be a good problem to have.
Well, I'd only be advocating for trading for Byram this summer if we don't get Schaefer. If we do, obviously Byram wouldn't be a smart acquisition.
The problem is getting at least one defenseman who deserves to play above a #5 role - we do not currently have anyone who meets the requirements, unless you believe that Walman's hot streak is more representative of his true talent (I do not). We will continue to be hemmed in the zone until we acquire or develop some actual quality defensemen.
I see a guy who still has potential to be a top pairing guy and is at worst a good middle-pairing guy and puck-mover. He's never going to achieve his potential sharing the ice with Dahlin and Power, so you'd be gambling on him hitting a higher level of play. If we don't get Schaefer, that's the sort of thing you'd have to do.
Nothing wrong with Byram as the #1D until Schaefer matures, and then running Byram on the 2nd pairing.
If the sharks get Byram I would fly down to San Jose so I could drive whoever gets traded to the airport. I need a positive Giants/Sharks experience to assuage the sting of the Kane debacle.
