Doohickie

I bopped over to HFBoards to see what the Avs fans were saying. They're pretty happy to get Mitts. Some, not all, were pissed that Byram was traded. But the perspective I've developed overnight is this: Casey is a good center capable of playing 2C on a good team. The Sabres had anointed their 1C and 2C as Tage and Cozens, with Mitts being the odd man out. Trading him to Colorado will give him that 2C opportunity. Byram is a solid, high-end Dman capable of top pairing duty. The Avs have Makar and Toews so that's never gonna happen there, so Bo is the odd man out. Trading him to Buffalo will give him that top pair opportunity. They were both pretty prominent on their former teams, but in spots where the team had other resources and they just weren't in that very top tier. The trade gives both of them an opportunity to maximize their ceilings. I'm gonna miss Casey; he's a helluva player, but I'm hoping Byram makes me look back a year from now and acknowledge it was a good trade that improved both teams.

You don't understand anything about human resource management, do you? You never say you're moving a player until the deal is done.

Yeah, I'm sure she just brought some soft drinks out for the guys, eh? 😉

I doubt it.

That's Bryson on the end.

Because they feel they have adequate defensive depth but needed help at center. The Sabres have adequate forward depth and needed help at D. In Cozzy's postgame he said they talked during the All-Star break and Byram said he wanted to come to Buffalo. For him it's a great opportunity: He's never going to break into the top pair in CO unless Makar or Toews gets injured, but here he has an opportunity to earn a first pair billet with Dahlin. Byram has 3rd highest TOI/Game among CO Dmen, behind Makar & Toews. He's a career + in +/-, although only a +1 this year. I don't think they were giving up on him, they just wanted a middle six center and were willing to pay the price.

Neither did Kevyn. The last thing I saw from Mitts about contract stuff is that the Sabres never contacted his agent about an extension.

Until the deal is done, you never announce you're trying to trade a player (unless they've asked for a trade). If Kevyn had announced he was trying to trade Mitts and then no deal worked out, now you have a player on your team that knows you were trying to move him- very demotivating.

Pretty strong storm blowing through, lots of lightning.

And they didn't challenge TO once the Leafs got possession.

Sabres just didn't protect possession well enough in OT.

Saw that… Ridiculous… Letting them play It's Krebsy's fault for putting his head where it doesn't belong. 😉

Ryan Johnson is gonna be a helluva player for this team.

I like a lot of Little Feat songs but that one in particular burrows into my soul. I could listen to it on repeat all night.

I just feel like he played the game the way it should be played, and the way more Sabres should be playing it. The decision to move him, apparently months ago, was a tragic one in my view.

That's none of your concern anymore.

That steel guitar is just ethereal.

With Mitts gone his place on the team is more secure and he will get more opportunity.

That would be Benson.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Dang it, Power, shoot that!

That was a pretty mild penalty but I'll take it. Now score!

It's a matter of degree I guess. I don't see it that way. It's merely an expression of resignation. Mine too. I think this was the only positive of the Krueger era. The whole team sucked but Ollie scored a ton.

TRADE HIM NOW