Confirmed Trade: [COL/BUF] Casey Mittelstadt for Bowen Byram

[Dirty Dog]

But isn't he on the left behind power and dahlin now lol

No, Dahlin plays on the right

 

[Hornstar]

Bryam has always been heavily overrated, clear win for Colorado

Bo makes occasional bone head plays but he will be fine and Buffalo fans will love this kid

 

[Desert Panther]

Didn't have this one on the bingo card. Looks like a big win for the Avs to me.

 

[Three On Zero]

Bo makes occasional bone head plays but he will be fine and Buffalo fans will love this kid

Still good, just overrated

 

[Chainshot]

@Chainshot

Thoughts?

Big win for the Avs IMO. Not smart for Buffalo getting yet another mobile LD when they need experience and defensively responsible players both at forward (where Mittelstadt could be thought of as their best 2-way forward) and on defense (where Byram's fancy stats on a much better team have been kind of ass). Buffalo does the usual and gets younger when they need to be looking at finding vets and evening out their performances to actually operate as pros. They dealt one of the guys who did that and for someone who is a lot of potential.

Byram is a nice player. If they didn't already have the Dahlin and Power tandem as left shooting defense, I'd be more interested. There is the possibility that they plug one of them in on the right side (Dahlin) with Byram on left at the moment. Or they move Power over there and try him with Byram, though the guy needs someone who is a lot more defensively responsible and more engaged around the net than what I have seen of Byram to balance out Power's deficiencies.

If it's a two-stage deal, with say Power going somewhere this summer, it's not like Power has pumped his value with how his 2nd season has gone. Either way, looks like a talent loss, especially without there being anything more than just Byram in the deal. Colorado had a need and they still managed to not have to dig nearly deep enough to get a quality 2C.

 

[WarriorOfGandhi]

the best I ever saw Byram play was a shift he took with Makar and the top line against the Kings in his rookie year. All 5 skaters just played keepaway from something like 2 minutes straight and Byram was flying.

one thing that you'll find is how efficient his skating is. He doesn't look conventionally fast, but he has a tremendous talent at getting to the right place at the right time to support or finish a play. I hope he can be healthy, engage on defense more, and cut down on the penalties. He can be a hell of a player.

 

[Snippit]

We have double the years of team control. Casey has grown a ton in the last years, but we have a stud who seems to be healthy now. We'll see. Casey was done in Buffalo. Sabres were not going to have three centres making $7 M

Why not? That’s not an unreasonable amount especially with the gap going up

 

[HaNotsri]

Dumb trade, I hate Kevyn Adams.

 

[EastVillageBlues]

Why would Buffalo do this? I don't get it. Do they think Byram will do much better when he's not given heavy minutes? The pressure will be off of him because he'll be behind Dahlin, Power, etc.?

Yeah, I don't think the Sabres management thought this through.

Both Thompson and Cousins have taken a step back this year. There is no guarantee that either would over perform what Mitts has done recently.

Unless they have another deal in the works, I don't see how it makes sense for them.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

Was Buffalo afraid of what Mittelstadt was looking for on a new deal?

Not sure I make the trade otherwise if I'm them

Gotta think he wanted off from this ship of fools and made that clear. If that’s the case- respeck. He’s the only one working his bag off day in and day out lately, sure, send him somewhere else.

 

[KrakenSabresMike]

He's 25 so yah he is young. If your so called 3rd like center is a leading your team in points and good on the defensive side of the puck then maybe you should re-evaluate whether he should be the 3rd line guy.

Another good strategy trade him so that is opens up room for a young player that Buffalo hopes develops into a player as good as Middelstadt.

It's a choice between a boat and a mystery box. A boat is a boat but a box could be anything, even a boat.

OK… Do you watch the Sabres or ate you just reading Stat lines. Casey is good but he is not existentially better than cozens and Thompson. I get where you’re coming from from an outside perspective, but being the leading Sabres scorer this year is really not all of that big of a compliment.

Casey is really good but if you know and watch the team you get why the deal happened…

Also, 25 is not young in the NHL. Casey is at the peak of what he will be currently. 22-year-old defenseman are not fully formed… Therefore, the upside with Byram is definitely much higher.

 

[Avs2022]

Where’s all the Colorado fans saying this guy’s untouchable even in a trade for Pettersson?

That was early 2023. Now in early 2024 we changed our minds.

 

[VanillaCoke]

Buffalo man what is you doin

 

[biturbo19]

Very interesting trade.

So long as the Avs can afford to get him re-signed, Mittelstadt should fit well in their system and decently fill that #2C hole that they've been perpetually trying to patch over since Kadri walked.


But if Byram can stay healthy and get things back on track, this could be a major win for the Sabres. That's a big "if" though, as he hasn't had a ton of luck staying healthy to date.

Also kind of wonder how it works with Dahlin/Power/Byram/Samuelsson all LH shooting D. Even if Dahlin can play his off side well...i'm not sure how much i like any of the others doing it. Though it'd put them in a real good position to move one of them for a RHD at some point if it comes to that.

 

[trellaine201]

Byram with the soft noggin at his age. No thanks. Win for the Avs. Good timing.

 

[Chainshot]

No, Dahlin plays on the right

Not at the moment. He's paired with Jokiharju as his right hand side partner. He can, and has, but he is not right now.

 

[Hornstar]

Still good, just overrated

Overrated how and by who? Does people expect him to be as good as Makar and Toews? No Avs fans have made that claim

 

[Fig]

Bo Bo Buffalo!

 

[randywoodsghost]

Mittlestadt career high is 59 points and is pacing for 62 points this season.

You would have thought they traded the second coming of Perreault.

I get why Buffalo didn’t want to commit 7 years at likely 7 or 8 million a season for a 60 point center.

 

[Jeune Poulet]

We’ve effectively traded Duchene for Mittlestadt at this point.

If that is true, it means you have effectively traded a first round pick and Bowen Byram for Sean Walker and a 5th round pick.

 

[Three On Zero]

Overrated how and by who? Does people expect him to be as good as Makar and Toews? No Avs fans have made that claim

Were you not around after his semi decent playoff performance being sheltered?

 

[Go Wings]

OK… Do you watch the Sabres or ate you just reading Stat lines. Casey is good but he is not existentially better than cozens and Thompson. I get where you’re coming from from an outside perspective, but being the leading Sabres scorer this year is really not all of that big of a compliment.

Casey is really good but if you know and watch the team you get why the deal happened…

Also, 25 is not young in the NHL. Casey is at the peak of what he will be currently. 22-year-old defenseman are not fully formed… Therefore, the upside with Byram is definitely much higher.

Casey is at the peak of what he will be currently, I am going to save that for the future. I wonder if you thought the same thing about Reinhart when he was traded at the ripe old age of 26

I have watched the Sabres play plenty and this was not a good trade. Yes there is a chance Byram turns out assuming he can stay healthy (big assumption there).

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Buffalo is smart on selling high on Casey when he's riding high. The chances of Mittelstadt repeating this season is slim to none.

It still should have been Byram for Cozen's though.

 

[Mattilaus]

Overrated how and by who? Does people expect him to be as good as Makar and Toews? No Avs fans have made that claim

Someone can only be overrated if they are compared to makar and toews now?

Where did you see anyone else seriously say Byram should be makar level?

 

[LeonDraisaitl]

Wowza that’s nannerz