Doohicksie

In the Mitts discussion, people have argued that Byram >>> Ryan Johnson. I'm not sure I agree. I think Johnson will emerge this season as a top 4 defender. His game coming out of college was mature. He doesn't make a lot of mistakes but he definitely gets the puck out of the zone and up ice. And I still think that Byram may turn out to be more like Risto than people want to admit. For both these players I'm looking forward to how Lindy deploys them. Maybe he can get them to both be top shelf players.

I guess that's my argument against the trade: I'm not sure Byram filled an urgent need on the roster. What I see in him is a player who could possibly a good piece but also is subject to inconsistent play. But the trade *did* create an urgent need on the roster. I think we're much worse off with Byram than we were with Mitts. I'm not saying Byram is a bust or anything. But I'm saying I don't think there is a clear hole that he is filling, but the absence of Mitts creates a big hole in the forward ranks. I also realize the die was cast when Tage and Cozens got their contracts. I think signing those two and making Casey the odd man out was a mistake. I think Casey had made the case that he was a versatile player that could play anywhere in the Top Nine. I don't think you can say the same for Cozens or Tage. While in general I think Kevyn's approach to roster building is sound, I think in this case he messed up.

My wife's cousin in Ardmore, OK, is in a neighborhood that got hit by a tornado yesterday. Their house is okay, but a block over...

News flash: NS likes 'em skinny.

It's spelled Doohickie.

On the Sabres he would be the 1B C. Cozens at his current level would be 3C behind Tage and Mitts. There was no reason to move him at all. Just pay him. But Kevyn didn't want to admit that he made a mistake anointing Tage and Cozens to the top two centers. In fact if Casey commands $7 million or more it proves my point.

Right. And who was expendable? Why? Byram, because he just wasn't playing up to that level.

Mitts has improved every season. So Cozens is better than Mitts was in the past. I'm talking about Mitts NOW. He's flat out better than Cozens. We kept him through his lean years and traded him in his gravy years.

I think you're underestimating Johnson there. Have I seen Byram play top notch defense? Yes. Does he do it consistently? No. (And that, by the way, is why the Avs moved him.) Does he make too many bone-headed plays? Yes.

And that was the first mistake. He's at least 2C material; he's played 1C with no dropoff on the top line. If anything, paying Cozens to be 2C was the mistake; he's still a "potential" 2C. Mitts is the real deal.

Oh yeah? Go on the Avs forum. They were glad to be rid of him and his inconsistency.

The trade was made and now the Sabres have a Mitts sized hole in the forward ranks and maybe....? an improvement on defense. Makes no sense.

Perhaps, but he's exactly the kind of player everyone was kvetching about on locker cleanout day- not self-motivated, only plays when he feels like it.

This line made me laugh out loud. We didn't trade one of our best players to Greenway. Honestly I'm starting to see Byram like Risto: Great highlights with poor hockey sense the rest of the time.

I'm not ready to say that yet.

When Mitts came up he was the 98 pound weakling in this ad. He's become the Hero of the Beach as he's gotten older.

Eh. I think Mitts his plenty edgy and getting edgier as he gets older.

I always thought moving Mitts was a mistake. You can see my reaction early in this thread. I came around to Byram after the first few games, but now I'm cool on him again. He's certainly no savior. Hopefully Lindy can get the best out of him. But I said when Mitts was still with the team, I thought he might be our best forward come playoff time. I think the argument for trading him is that they've already got two long term, high dollar (although reasonably priced) contracts for centers and didn't think Mitts would be happy with what the offer was going to be. I think not even engaging him in contract talks (as has been reported) was a huge mistake. Maybe he would have accepted a similar 7x7 deal. If so, would that mess up signing other players such as JJP and Quinn? I dunno. But I felt that investing all we did in Mitts, then trading him for a D that may or may not be high end was... imprudent at best. Still I'm waiting to see how it works out. Hmm?

The larger optics are will the Sabres win hockey games. By the end of the summer no one will remember Kevyn's "double digits" statement except people here on the forum.

"You mean there was no deep fat, no steak nor cream pies nor hot fudge?" "Those were thought to be unhealthy. Precisely the opposite of what we now know to be true."

Except Benson is a passer and Skinner a shooter. And Benson plays good D. Benson has a ways to go in penalty differential tho haha Except Benson is decidedly not Skinner in any way.

Because he's an upstate NYer

Sounds like it's best not to risk it.

Sorry, I was... uhhh... having a moment.