This is going to be long but if you want to feel better about it, I recommend reading this as you just might. Well some of you at least.
I hated the deal last night and I woke up hating it less. Still not loving it but starting to see things clearly? Here's my logic as to why I and pretty much all of the hockey world sans Mario Tirabassi hated it and a logical rebuttal:
1. They could have gotten Byram for less: Well if the reporting on what SJ offered is accurate, this simply isn't true. Turns out they offered 9, 27, and a player (Assuming Pohlkamp - maybe Chernyshov?) It sucks that SJ is in a better situation to acquire assets this offseason as the extra first they acquired didn't transfer to next season and they had Eklund to sell as expendable. The good news is we, as of now, have 3 1sts to play and finagle with next year and will have a full extra year of data on our young players that will make them attractive to other teams as our next wave comes in. (Nestrasil, Felcman, Boisvert, Vanacker, Spellacy)
2. Bowen Byram isn't that good: Well it's true that he's not a top pairing defenseman. But I think KD is gambling that he becomes one. He's had the fortune/misfortune playing behind Makar and Dahlin his entire career eating at his potential PP time to pick up points. None of us know what he's truly capable of if he's deployed in a #1 role getting top minutes and a decent chunk of O zone faceoffs. The conclusion here is that KD is thinking the only reason he's not a top pairing defenseman is that he's been stuck behind one. Let's see what he can do in the role. Another thing that nobody is talking about is that he can play both sides which adds a level of versatility to the core.
3. They still paid too much and would have been better off holding onto what they got: At least we can be confident they weren't bidding against themselves. That was the price they needed to pay to get Byram. Was it too high? Maybe. Probably still. I know I'll be furious on Friday if somehow Stenberg makes it to 4. But if McKenna, Stenberg, and Reid are all gone by 4, the question starts t become would I rather have Bowen Byram than Caleb Malhotra or Carson Carels? Think of these 2 questions:
Would I rather have Bowen Byram than 4OA? Oh god no.
Would I rather have Bowen Byram than Carson Carels? .....Maybe?????
In a vacuum, I think the answer is still probably no. But Caleb Malhotra is another center that we have plenty of and Carels, another defenseman, isn't likely to significantly contribute for at least 2 if not 3 years. We need the help now and have plenty of cap room. I've been saying for months that the young D playing together to end last season did not look good. You just can't have 6 guys out there all with less than 3 full years of experience. Sure you can sign a UFA for that, and I still think they will, but here's a chance to get a 25 year old potential top pairing guy. And that's what they did.
Losing Crevier sucks. But if Byram plays the right side or if they sign another RHD in UFA, where's he going to play? It's also possible that we sold high on him. I doubt that but we'll see how his career progresses somewhere else.
4. None of this helps Bedard: I mean not to the naked eye. But how many full shifts did we see Bedard spend chasing the puck in his own zone? This will help with that. Now it's true that we could have used what we gave up for a winger. But is it? Tkachuk wasn't coming here. I have no idea why Toronto would trade Knies for futures unless they're completely blowing it up. I am curious to see what happens with Robertson but I'd be shocked if KD hasn't checked in on that situation and already offered 4OA.
5. This is Seth Jones all over again: Kind of. They did offer quite a bit for a youngish and promising defenseman. The key difference is that was a desperate GM giving away any and all of the futures he had left to add to a core that was hanging on for one last breath to possibly make the playoffs. Then Seth Jones gets here, the season flops, a new GM comes in, sells everyone, the team sucks, and then Seth Jones, fair or not, is the symbol of that major flop. Byram is coming into a young up and coming team with plenty of talent and futures. I'm sure he's aware of the situation and I highly doubt KD is going to blow it up in Byram's face like he did to Jones.
The main question to this whole thing is will Byram become something he currently is not nor has shown compared to what will become of who is available at 4? You also need to consider how his presence may help everyone on the team right now.
