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

McJedi

Registered User
Apr 21, 2020
10,379
7,172
Florida
Byram played great in Calgary last night. Excellent analytics in a nice road win. If Buffalo can acquire more scoring depth at winger, they should make the playoffs next season.

And the Avs have lost 0 games since the trade deadline. They are quite clearly now the NHLs team to beat. And although Mitts played his first poor game for the Avs against Pitt(holy overpassing) but Mitts has otherwise been a brilliant fit.

This trade looks like a great hockey deal.
 
Last edited:

lionsDen

Hated And Proud
Jan 26, 2022
3,440
2,202
I haven’t got to see any games of late byram was a favorite of mine did buffalo drop him off from Dahl pairing seemed like his TOI dropped a bit
 

Sabresfansince1980

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Sep 29, 2011
10,872
5,256
from Wheatfield, NY
Loving Mitts. Glad this worked out for both teams.
While Byram is a very good young talent, he's not the type of player that Buffalo needed. It hasn't exactly worked out for Buffalo...6-6-1 since the trade while their GA and xGA are right back up to around last season's pace. They were 14-10 from Jan 1st until the trade. They needed more two-way responsible play (especially from the FWs), not less of it. Krebs is being forced into a 3C role to justify part of the Eichel trade. He's not ready and won't ever be as good at Mitts at either end of the ice.
 

57special

Posting the right way since 2012.
Sep 5, 2012
48,032
19,747
MN
So, how are BUF and CO fans feeling about the trade now? Mittelstadt has scored 9 pts. in 17 gp, Byram 8. CM mediocre on FO's, playing 16 mins/night. Byram firmly in the top 4, playing 21 min.
 

Flames Fanatic

Mediocre
Aug 14, 2008
13,362
2,906
Cochrane
I think it was a pretty dumb decision by the Avs.

Finding top 4D that make impacts like him and for his age, don’t fall from trees. Casey Middelstat, you can find them all over the draft.

To an extent sure. But they aren't worried about what they can find in the draft, they are worried about what they need to win a Cup right now.
 

AslanRH

Not a Core Poster
Sponsor
Jun 5, 2012
15,221
1,900
Wyoming, USA
I think it was a pretty dumb decision by the Avs.

Finding top 4D that make impacts like him and for his age, don’t fall from trees. Casey Middelstat, you can find them all over the draft.
He wasn't a top 4D nor making an impact on the Avs for about a year and a half, so I'd say it still could be a win-win for each team.
 

SeanMoneyHands

Registered User
Apr 18, 2019
13,090
11,059
I expect Byram to have a very good year next season for Buffalo. He's no doubt their #2 dman.

Mittelstadt will come back down to earth next year and expect no more than 55pts from him. He's a dime a dozen player, nothing special.
 

Gabrielor

"Win with us or watch us win." - Rasmus Dahlin
Jun 28, 2011
13,421
13,914
Buffalo, NY
So, how are BUF and CO fans feeling about the trade now? Mittelstadt has scored 9 pts. in 17 gp, Byram 8. CM mediocre on FO's, playing 16 mins/night. Byram firmly in the top 4, playing 21 min.
Sabres were always thinking past this season, depsite what the GM says. I'll wait to see the results of that. Byram didn't/doesn't fit what we need, but he was an elite prospect for a reason, and that talent has definitely shown in spots. He just needs to never again be paired with Jokiharju.
 

Zman5778

Moderator
Oct 4, 2005
25,017
22,252
Cressona/Reading, PA
So, how are BUF and CO fans feeling about the trade now? Mittelstadt has scored 9 pts. in 17 gp, Byram 8. CM mediocre on FO's, playing 16 mins/night. Byram firmly in the top 4, playing 21 min.

Byram has decidedly fallen off some since his excellent 2-3-4 game debut. That said, Granato decided to take Byram away from Dahlin and stick him with Jokiharju...........that pairing has NOT done well. Like at all. Problem is, Dahlin/Power have been excellent and Bryson/Clifton have been fine as our 3rd pair.

Really, this trade is about the future for Buffalo. If we stick with Power/Dahlin.....that would likely make Byram/Samuelsson a pair next year -- and Dahlin took flight when he was paired with Sammy.

That said, he does show glimpses every game.....especially on zone exits/defensive zone passing. Dude can be SLICK getting the puck out of the zone or to a forward who should get the puck out of the zone.
 

MOGlLNY

Registered User
Jan 5, 2008
11,137
10,397
I could see Byram doing well with either Ryan Johnson or Samuelsson next year. Jokiharju tanks the numbers of everyone he plays with except Dahlin.
 

StumpyTown

Registered User
Sep 26, 2016
685
1,197
Not sure Colorado wins this trade as many suggest. Byram was huge for the Avalanche during their Stanley Cup run and is a solid player when healthy. Byram is a solid #2-4 D on almost any team in the league. The only place I think the Avs really win this is if Byram is chronically on IR and Mittlestadt gets much, much better. While I like Mittlestadt he is on a 50-60 point centre which makes him a 2b-3a type of centre. I like this trade for both teams.
 

bleedgreen

Registered User
Dec 8, 2003
23,925
38,949
colorado
Visit site
I don’t get the fuss about “winning” this trade. Both teams got what they wanted and needed. The Avs are about the now and are competing for the cup, they’re ok with maybe Buffalo getting the edge down the road. Sacrificing the future for the now is the reality of a cup winning team. With Byrams injury history there’s also a legit chance he won’t reach his potential.

Mitts has looked great for the Avs and definitely improves an important spot on the team as they go for it again. It doesn’t matter if Mitts settles in to be mid range 50-60 pt 2C, that’s what they need to win more right now. I don’t think anyone for the Avs assumes his explosion this year is what he’s going to be moving forward or that there is a higher offensive ceiling coming.

Both teams got what they needed. Win/win.
 

Zman5778

Moderator
Oct 4, 2005
25,017
22,252
Cressona/Reading, PA
I don’t get the fuss about “winning” this trade. Both teams got what they wanted and needed. The Avs are about the now and are competing for the cup, they’re ok with maybe Buffalo getting the edge down the road. Sacrificing the future for the now is the reality of a cup winning team. With Byrams injury history there’s also a legit chance he won’t reach his potential.

Mitts has looked great for the Avs and definitely improves an important spot on the team as they go for it again. It doesn’t matter if Mitts settles in to be mid range 50-60 pt 2C, that’s what they need to win more right now. I don’t think anyone for the Avs assumes his explosion this year is what he’s going to be moving forward or that there is a higher offensive ceiling coming.

Both teams got what they needed. Win/win.

Ehhhhhhh.

Buffalo didn't "need" Byram. Buffalo needed a top 4 defenseman, yes. Preferably right-handed......but DEFINITELY on the more defensively stout side of things. Byram's skillset is hellaciously and ridiculously redundant given the presence of Dahlin and Power......and to a lesser extent Jokiharju and Ryan Johnson. Yes, Byram has a legit top-pair potential. But we didn't NEED a left-handed, smooth-skating, good-first-pass-making, good-to-great-offensively defenseman who's overtly questionable in his own end.

It legitimately brings into question our GM's ability to build a team. Right now, it looks to a lot of Sabres fans that Adams' idea of team building is to acquire as much talent as possible and then let it all sort itself out. If this were 10 years ago and our rebuild was in its infancy, fine. But we've got a ton of talent and now we need to fine-tune and build a roster. Byram is just yet another high-end talent that's redundant on our blue line.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Irie

bleedgreen

Registered User
Dec 8, 2003
23,925
38,949
colorado
Visit site
Ehhhhhhh.

Buffalo didn't "need" Byram. Buffalo needed a top 4 defenseman, yes. Preferably right-handed......but DEFINITELY on the more defensively stout side of things. Byram's skillset is hellaciously and ridiculously redundant given the presence of Dahlin and Power......and to a lesser extent Jokiharju and Ryan Johnson. Yes, Byram has a legit top-pair potential. But we didn't NEED a left-handed, smooth-skating, good-first-pass-making, good-to-great-offensively defenseman who's overtly questionable in his own end.

It legitimately brings into question our GM's ability to build a team. Right now, it looks to a lot of Sabres fans that Adams' idea of team building is to acquire as much talent as possible and then let it all sort itself out. If this were 10 years ago and our rebuild was in its infancy, fine. But we've got a ton of talent and now we need to fine-tune and build a roster. Byram is just yet another high-end talent that's redundant on our blue line.
You know your team, I just think these things tend to sort themselves out. Mitts needs a contract and Buffalo didn’t want to be on the hook for that, so they moved him for the highest value they could get. Presumably there wasn’t a righty that was available and made sense. More moves could come, and from a distance I think he did a good job acquiring a strong piece for a guy that likely wasn’t around next year.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DickSmehlik

bringbacktheskate604

Registered User
Jul 20, 2022
877
970
I don’t get the fuss about “winning” this trade. Both teams got what they wanted and needed. The Avs are about the now and are competing for the cup, they’re ok with maybe Buffalo getting the edge down the road. Sacrificing the future for the now is the reality of a cup winning team. With Byrams injury history there’s also a legit chance he won’t reach his potential.

Mitts has looked great for the Avs and definitely improves an important spot on the team as they go for it again. It doesn’t matter if Mitts settles in to be mid range 50-60 pt 2C, that’s what they need to win more right now. I don’t think anyone for the Avs assumes his explosion this year is what he’s going to be moving forward or that there is a higher offensive ceiling coming.

Both teams got what they needed. Win/win.
9 points in 17 games, terrible at FO and not exactly a shutdown C, what exactly has he looked great at?

I get that they needed a 2c but Byram despite having a so so season I'm sure still has cache around the league and who knows maybe they tried to move him somewhere else but I have to think Kadri could have been had and I get he makes more but won't Mitts be looking for similar money next year?
What about Zegras? I dunno I'm sure Avs fans will attack me but Mitts is a 40-50 point vanilla player and I just don't think he's a 2C on a team with cup aspirations.

Maybe an Avs fan can answer in a non dick way and explain the reasoning why Mitts and if there were any other rumours.
I mean isn't Girard more on a mitts level?

A year ago Avs fans said they felt Byram had more value than Quinn. A ridiculous take of course but his game couldn't have fallen that much that he went from insane takes on his value to mitts 1 for 1?
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad