Confirmed with Link: Casey Mittelstadt traded to COL for D Bo Byram. Straight up.

[Der Jaeger]

Kulich and Savoie don't look like they're going to be centers at the NHL level.

I think Savoie is a center. He's at his best getting cranked up in his own zone or on his side of the red line. His puck transition skills, particularly carrying the puck, and then maintaining possession on zone entry, are elite. I think you diminish those skills at wing.

 

[Mattilaus]

Coming in peace.

The Sabres org baffles me. They seem to constantly trade already made NHL contributors for less mature and less certain prospects.

Is there actually a plan, or is the game always kicking the can down the road?

The second one

 

[CaliSabresfan24]

Coming in peace.

The Sabres org baffles me. They seem to constantly trade already made NHL contributors for less mature and less certain prospects.

Is there actually a plan, or is the game always kicking the can down the road?

WTF is a plan?

 

[yasky]

Gonna assume Mitts indicated he wasn't gonna re-sign or wanted more money than Kevyn was willing to offer.

I assume a left shot defender or 2 is being moved out

 

[Sabre the Win]

WTF is a plan?

Improvise til it makes sense?

 

[dasaybz]

I'd rather pair Joki with assets than trade Power at this point.

Greenway gives me a sliver of hope. Not a center, but he's someone they can move up and down the LU. I'm a bit worried theyre going to lean on Thompson-Cozens-Krebs- Cheap UFA/Young player to hold down the center spots once again relying on progression from young players rather than bringing in forwards to help relieve some of that pressure.

I do think Adams has something up his sleeve with Joki. Hopefully, it's not just picks. There's a real hockey trade to be made there.

Why do you want to move Joker? Seems like he's been playing well this year and is one of our only RHD.

 

[PunchImlach is Alive]

It seemed like a given they were probably moving on from Mitts. I've always been a little meh on the idea but I get it. Like everyone else, I'm just a little baffled by the return here. Maybe giving a little more shelter to Power? More competition for the top 4? No idea what's going on here. Just replacing one log jam with another.

 

[1point21Gigawatts]

God mitts is going to look so good in colorado. How is the return on this so poor? There must be more to this.

 

[EastVillageBlues]

The second one

WTF is a plan?

I mean they probably have something else in the works.

Usually that's how these things go. Some deals that don't entirely make sense are often followed by another deal that demonstrates the coherent plan that the management had.

 

[MOGlLNY]

Honestly, this feels like a move where the Sabres feel like they can maybe end out on top in terms of how talented Byram is. But they also wanted to shock this group of players and show them they aren't safe.

Again, I'm not a fan of the trade at this moment.. But I think this will have guys a little less comfortable in the room now. Which I think is really needed

 

[Dubi Doo]

It seemed like a given they were probably moving on from Mitts. I've always been a little meh on the idea but I get it. Like everyone else, I'm just a little baffled by the return here. Maybe giving a little more shelter to Power? More competition for the top 4? No idea what's going on here. Just replacing one log jam with another.

Im betting on this:

Byram-Dahlin
Power-Sammy
Johnson-Clifton

For next year

 

[Havok89]

We arguably had the best 1-2-3 in the league.

Cozens and Tage both suck.

 

[5 Minute Major]

I mean they probably have something else in the works.

Usually that's how these things go. Some deals that don't entirely make sense are often followed by another deal that demonstrates the coherent plan that the management had.

The problem is…you used coherent and Sabres in the same sentence.

 

[PunchImlach is Alive]

Some deals that don't entirely make sense are often followed by another deal that demonstrates the coherent plan that the management had.

I appreciate the positive outlook but you're really giving them too much credit assuming they'd have a coherent plan

 

[CaliSabresfan24]

I mean they probably have something else in the works.

Usually that's how these things go. Some deals that don't entirely make sense are often followed by another deal that demonstrates the coherent plan that the management had.

Pegula has had something up his sleeve for 13 years and we still have yet to see it..

 

[Dubi Doo]

Honestly, this feels like a move where the Sabres feel like they can maybe end out on top in terms of how talented Byram is. But they also wanted to shock this group of players and show them they aren't safe.

Again, I'm not a fan of the trade at this moment.. But I think this will have guys a little less comfortable in the room now. Which I think is really needed

I dont know if it was purposeful or not, but interesting take. I did think about how this will impact the lockerroom.

 

[Sabre the Win]

God mitts is going to look so good in colorado. How is the return on this so poor? There must be more to this.

Future Considerations also came to the Sabres

 

[old kummelweck]

Kulich and Savoie don't look like they're going to be centers at the NHL level.

I've been wondering if they may not try Quinn at center.

 

[Chainshot]

God mitts is going to look so good in colorado. How is the return on this so poor? There must be more to this.

Perhaps they just go with a top 4 of LHD. Maybe they move one of them before next season. It's not like most have much value. Granted, with injury issues, they have 1 defenseman between Sammy and Byram at the moment.

 

[Dreakon13]

Honestly, this feels like a move where the Sabres feel like they can maybe end out on top in terms of how talented Byram is. But they also wanted to shock this group of players and show them they aren't safe.

Again, I'm not a fan of the trade at this moment.. But I think this will have guys a little less comfortable in the room now. Which I think is really needed

Maybe show them if they play well enough, the Sabres might move them to a contender...

 

[Fezzy126]

3 centers making $7 million each? Or did you want to trade Peterka instead? Or Quinn?

Trading guys away because the cap might be a problem someday is how not to do it.

For years everyone said Tampa wouldn't be able to afford Point, yet they continued to find ways to stay cap complaint.
Vegas stayed cap compliant until they were forced to get rid of Reilly Smith.

Winning the cap doesn't win a trophy.

 

[Chainshot]

I've been wondering if they may not try Quinn at center.

They might. It's hard not to make jokes about that since Quinn might actually work at the position if they try it. *shrug*

 

[Chainshot]

Honestly, this feels like a move where the Sabres feel like they can maybe end out on top in terms of how talented Byram is. But they also wanted to shock this group of players and show them they aren't safe.

Again, I'm not a fan of the trade at this moment.. But I think this will have guys a little less comfortable in the room now. Which I think is really needed

Trying to stay in that line of thought as well. I'm still not pleased with the overall return given Byram's injury history and how porous his defensive game was on a contending team like Colorado.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Any chance he makes it tonight for the game ?

 

[OkimLom]

And my last contribution before I go back into my self-imposed exodus - this trade was done despite knowing what it would mean to the locker room. Perhaps this is a sign from ownership/management that not everything can be about positivity and brotherly love.

This was a result of their own creation, and the biggest component to the "overly-positivity" and brotherly love of the room, they extended him for more years. You may know the guy, he's the head coach. But sure, let's trade away the guy that actually changed his habits and put the work in to become a more professional. I'm sure that will send that sort of message.


Not commenting on Mitts (he was great), but he's very close to a lot of players who either didn't show up in shape or otherwise weren't ready to play in October, I think many of us would agree on that. What this says is we want you to be happy in Buffalo, but if you want to keep your band together you better produce results. I dont mind it.

Nothing about this screams as a results based, send a message, trade. If they were looking to send this sort of message, maybe trading away a guy that you raised the expectations on, with massive raises and long term commitments without a NTC attached, that has crapped the bed on their end of the deal so far.

Thing like this can lead to a lot of off-ice positive growth.

Or trading away the guy that was popular in the room that did everything you asked of him, that worked his tail off, to become the leading scorer of your team, could send a terrible message after watching management giving out large unearned contracts like candy to young players. It could send a poor message in the room, and create a rift between players and management, especially when you continue to not improve the quality of leadership for the organization.