I still don't get the trade for Buffalo. I get moving Mitts (or would have been better for them Cozens) for a defensemen... but for another LD and one that is probably going to be behind Dahlin AND Power just doesn't make a ton of sense to me. Especially when they had yet another young LD locked up too. If they were going to trade one, at least get a RD.
I'm in the same boat. Byram never made any sense for the Sabres. Byram is a good player, but he's more of what we already had, and he'll always be 3rd fiddle to Dahlin and Power.
It wouldn't be the end of the world because he's also a world class passer as we've already seen a number of times this year.
I feel like they took the "flashiest" offer, a highly-touted young defenseman and Stanley Cup winner taken fourth overall. Who knows what the best offer was but I imagine there was something that better suited their needs.
If they don't want to keep him they can always flip him, Byram has retained his value.
He also really wanted to go to Buffalo. I think that's an important part for less popular teams.
I agree with this. It's a hard offer to beat.
I don't know about that... his value has been in decline for a while and the longer it goes, the less he's going to have that "#1D upside" that is fantasized about. I'd argue that his value has dropped tremendously since the Cup. If you traded him right then, you're talking about a player better than Mitts or at least Mitts and another good piece. Today, I don't think they could get a Mitts caliber player. Simply because it is looking less and less like the lack of opportunity and more and more that he is an erratic, yet talented defensemen.
He simply plays hockey the way you want guys to play hockey. If he was slightly more athletically talented, he'd be a star... but I'm plenty happy with him in his role here.
On the other hand the health concerns are pretty much gone now. If they put him on the market teams will line up.
I wouldn't say that... he's always one concussion away and literally one healthy season doesn't erase health questions. A lot of teams would take a chance on him, I don't disagree there. I disagree in the price they'd pay. It has been trending down for a while and will continue to until he starts to show signs of reaching his potential. The longer he goes as an erratic middle pairing defensemen with poor defense and inconsistent (and not impact level) offense, the closer he gets to the getting evaluated just as that. We're not there yet, but maybe a year or two away.
Unfortunately I'd argue one of the reasons he's managed to stay healthy for a while now is that he's playing a much softer game. Watching him at the tail end of his Avs tenure and now with the Sabres, dude just isn't winning puck battles and it's really hurting his game. The oft-injured version played with an almost reckless abandon. Now, I think he could strike a better balance, like, not taking on Drake Caiggula in a fight, but right now dude seems like kind of a perimeter player.
I think it is less fitness more than just being fresh. He was asked to come over midseason from a team that didn't play with nearly as much tempo or require as much north/south effort as the Avs... and he had to adjust to that after playing 3/4 of a season. That's just not an easy thing to do.
Yeah... he still will get chippy and go for things, but he's not nearly as reckless as he was here. He needs to battle and play more physical.
No matter which combos you have PP1 ends up with 1:45 and PP2 is lucky to get on the ice.
Pierce just wait until Mitts get to work out with Nuke.
Yeah, it is really strange why Buffalo traded their top point scoring player, a center and not someone else instead. Were those blokes not able to afford Mitts?
Most likely just a result of a poorly run organization.
