Speculation: Revisiting Byram vs. Mittlestadt

[Steddy33]

Byram is the better player and has more potential. Mitts is still the best fit for the Avs.

This is true. And Mittlestadt is the better fit for Buffalo too

A need for need trade. Not every trade needs to be or is a fleecing.

It was not. The last thing the Sabres needed was to trade from a position of weakness to aquire another puck moving LHD.

 

[TheNumber4]

This is true. And Mittlestadt is the better fit for Buffalo too


It was not. The last thing the Sabres needed was to trade from a position of weakness to aquire another puck moving LHD.

Tage, Cozens, and Kulich incoming was an area of over supply though. And if you are going to get rid of a 2C to fit that in, finding a partner desperate for one in the Avalanche was able to get you a pretty skilled player in return.

And it’s not like the Sabres D couldn’t use it. Ideally they would have liked an established Vet RHD but those type of players are hard to come by. Sounds like Byram is doing fine on the right side anyways, so in the end it’s still working out.

 

[pth2]

Who needs a winner?
Trades aren't a zero sum game.

 

[Steddy33]

Tage, Cozens, and Kulich incoming was an area of over supply though. And if you are going to get rid of a 2C to fit that in, finding a partner desperate for one in the Avalanche was able to get you a pretty skilled player in return.

And it’s not like the Sabres D couldn’t use it. Ideally they would have liked an established Vet RHD but those type of players are hard to come by. Sounds like Byram is doing fine on the right side anyways, so in the end it’s still working out.

Tage Thompson is not really a center. He plays the center position in one direction.

Cozens is not a center in any way shape or form. He is a winger. Just because the stupidest team in the league tries to jam him into the center position doesn't change that.

Kulich might be a center. That remains to be seen. Either way on a good team he plays protected minutes.

The Buffalo Sabres defense is a joke in every way minus Dahlin. Byram should be paired with a shut down defenseman. Which at this point so does Power and the Sabres have zero of.

Byram is better than Mittlestadt in a vacuum. It's still a stupid trade.

 

[Lonewolfe2015]

Who needs a winner?
Trades aren't a zero sum game.

The hidden agenda here is both fan bases have people that treat them as their whipping boys and after trading them want a chance at one more dig.

IMO Byram still has the highest upside, but I still don't believe he'll hit it. Mittelstadt started the year on fire and cooled off. Guess we'll see how streaky he is.

 

[MOGlLNY]

Seems about even. I think Byram could end up being traded for Pettersson though if the rumors are true.

The hidden agenda here is both fan bases have people that treat them as their whipping boys and after trading them want a chance at one more dig.

IMO Byram still has the highest upside, but I still don't believe he'll hit it. Mittelstadt started the year on fire and cooled off. Guess we'll see how streaky he is.

Mittelstadt was not a whipping boy for the Sabres when he was moved.

 

[Tralfamadore]

I was and am still fine with trading Byram. Mittelstadt sucks though.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

Seems about even


Mittelstadt was not a whipping boy for the Sabres when he was moved.

Byram was also on whipping boy for a minority of hfavs

 

[DekeyPete]

Give me Mittelstadt all day. Going through a slump but he'll break out of it and he showed us what he's capable of already.


Byram just isn't very good.

 

[Bender]

Mittelstadt even with his big recent slump is still on pace for a 52 point season which is just fine for his contrat relative to his production. He started the season on fire - took a few really big hits in November which may or may not be related to his slump but he's been better of late.

What's Byram going to get paid on his next contract and will he be worth it?

People do realize that this was always going to be an issue on the Avs if they had kept him, right?

 

[Zman5778]

A need for need trade. Not every trade needs to be or is a fleecing.

Kind of?

Buffalo needed a top 4 defenseman, true. But another puck-moving LHD whose actual defending ability can be suspect at times?

Colorado certainly filled their need better theoretically.....even if Mitts is slumping some.

 

[Chainshot]

Mittelstadt even with his big recent slump is still on pace for a 52 point season which is just fine for his contrat relative to his production. He started the season on fire - took a few really big hits in November which may or may not be related to his slump but he's been better of late.

Similarly, Byram's pacing for over 40 points with very little PP time. He's one point off the five-on-five point lead among all defensemen (19) behind Quinn Hughes (20) and tied with Makar. Considering how anemic the Sabres scoring has been, that's astonishing.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Both teams are content. Neither was blown away and neither really gave up the better piece.

 

[Uberpecker]

The hidden agenda here is both fan bases have people that treat them as their whipping boys and after trading them want a chance at one more dig.

IMO Byram still has the highest upside, but I still don't believe he'll hit it. Mittelstadt started the year on fire and cooled off. Guess we'll see how streaky he is.

Haven't watched him much since the trade, but unless it's something injury-related I'd be surprised if he didn't get back to being a useful top 6 center for you guys. He's been pretty consistent for more than two years now, including a solid play-off performance.

 

[wetcoast]

Buffalo

I'd lean this way but it's also a trade that worked out for both teams IMO.

 

[TheNumber4]

Kind of?

Buffalo needed a top 4 defenseman, true. But another puck-moving LHD whose actual defending ability can be suspect at times?

Colorado certainly filled their need better theoretically.....even if Mitts is slumping some.

I'm assuming based on Byram being able to play RHD. But I realize a Vet RHD would have been the more ideal pick up, but based on Byram's potential and profile you take the value when it's there.

Oilers are in a similar position this year, we are looking at LHD that can play the right side, simply cause RHD vets aren't available.

 

[AvStock]

Who? Mittlejost? Yeah we should have kept Byram

 

[landy92mack29]

I'm gonna go ahead and trust the 4 year sample size that I have watched over the ~25 good games he's had this year.


This is also part of his problem. He'll give you 25 games where he looks good and then 20 games where he doesn't even look like an NHLer.


Which quite frankly has also been the case with Mittelstadt this year.

It's truly amazing how someone can consistently be so wrong about everything

 

[lionsDen]

I was a big fan of Bo, there was thought his limited defense ability would not let him ever hit his peak. Iwe really needed a 2c mittelstdat had a pretty good run in the playoffs. As long as he’s going by the time the playoffs come, idc. Haven’t watched a sabres game this season.

 

[Irie]

Avs traded from a position of strength for one of need. I'm not sure what Buffalo was looking for. Value? They got the more dynamic guy with a higher potential ceiling, albeit along with some risk, but it's not as if they were starved for a young stud defenseman.

We'll see how it shakes out.

I think that was exactly what they were looking for.

Adams has regularly targeted all the guys the front office identified as core, and started negotiations with them all not long after they were extension eligible. Adams never even once called Mittelstadt's agent, even though Casey had been extension eligible for quite a while and his contract was rapidly expiring.

For whatever reason, they did not see Mittelstadt in the teams future, even though he was the teams leading scorer. A puck moving LHD was one of the last things the Sabres needed, but after the trade, they went with a sales pitch of how Byram was a player they had been looking at for a long time and were targeting, which makes zero sense with Dahlin and Power already in the mix.

I am pretty sure that Byram was just the most valuable piece they were offered for Mitts and they did not want to negotiate with Casey (who was arbitration eligible and likely would have demanded a deal similar to Thompson or Cozens in the 7m+ x 7 range had he stayed in Buffalo.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

It's truly amazing how someone can consistently be so wrong about everything

The irony of you posting this is not lost on the rest of us

 

[Djp]

Too early. Give it a whole season.
It's not even about performance with Byram. As others have noted it's also about value. What he can return or what he allows Power to be traded for.

Avs traded from a position of strength for one of need. I'm not sure what Buffalo was looking for. Value? They got the more dynamic guy with a higher potential ceiling, albeit along with some risk, but it's not as if they were starved for a young stud defenseman.

We'll see how it shakes out.

They wanted a top 4 D back in trading a Mittlestadt that was U25.

On the team they were concerned about resigning him with him being an RFA over the summer

I think they viewed Mitts as a 3C who would be expensive

I'm sure they would have preferred a RD but it opens up the idea of trading byram ot Power in the next few years

It's also possible buffalo might have had a second trade they didnt go through

 

[The Hockey Tonk Man]

Sounds like stat watching.

If a player is good, he is always good. Scoring slumps are fine but Casey seems to be on a bit of a “playing well” slump, which is different.

Byram is the same player he’s been for a while, and so is Casey. They roughly both still hold the same value as each other imo.

If they were stat watching they’d realize the very bad dman is almost out scoring the 2nd line C

One is -15 & the other is +5 as well

 

[Cousin Eddie]

I think Byram is the more valuable player.

Both teams made out ok. I think the deciding factor for Buffalo will ultimately be what they get in return for Byram when that trade eventually happens.

 

[McJedi]

The Avs needed a 2C.

But Buffalo's top 5 defenders are all L shot... Including two players that were relatively recent 1st overall picks.

Byram (relatively recent 4th overall pick) is the better overall player than Mittlestadt and Bryam is having a better season (sweet goal vs the Avs last night), yet Buffalo and the Avs both needed (Avs) need (Buffalo) 2C more than a 3rd top pair level defender. Esp with all three being L shot.

Byram is excess for Buffalo at a position where they have absolutely no need. which is more good LHD.

If you call M Samuelsson a top 4 D man for Buffalo (he played 24:30 last night so that conclusion draws itself), Buffalo's top 4 defenders are all L shot. In fact their #5, J Byrson, is also a L shot defender. Who the heck constructed this roster?

So even with Byram being the better player in a vacuum.. what the hell is Buffalo's GM doing?

Often Tankaton has Buffalo drafting 3rd overall in 2025. And selecting LHD Matthew Schaefer. Great prospect, but seems stupid as a pick for the Sabers, but it's Buffalo so lock it in.

As an Avs fan that loves Byram... The Avs need Mittlestadt much more than a Byram. And I think the same thing can be said for Buffalo.