Casey Mittelstadt traded for Bowen Byram

[etiennep99]

49 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Lol ...

 

And at least for now.  Erik Johnson (1st overall, RHD).

[Doohicksie]

EJ is not part of the D "core".

[LGR4GM]

Quote

Giving up on Byram isn't ideal, of course, but he hasn't been great this year, and his injury history is such that this is a big gamble for Buffalo. It's not like the Sabres have the biggest track record of turning their highly regarded young defensemen into the kinds of players who fully realize their potential, right? And if Byram can't stay healthy (whether it's his history of head injuries or another smaller problem, it always seems to be something), that's a problem. But if they felt like they had to trade Mittelstadt, then this isn't a bad return. It's just a pretty risky one.

https://eprinkside.com/2024/02/02/trade-grades-for-the-2023-24-nhl-trade-deadline 

[Crusader1969]

24 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

His game - as it evolved - was one of the few in the Sabre forward ranks that I could see becoming really well-suited to playoff hockey.

This is where I am at.  I don't care they have Tage and Cozens signed.  
mitts is a more determined winger than Skinner and Tuch combined.  One of those two need go this summer (or before) to help bring in a legit top pair RHD 

[inkman]

 

[Buffalonill]

So let me get this straight. We develop the player make him Somewhat of a star And then we trade him for a player that we have to develop

Make it makes sense

 

[Mango]

Just now, Doohickie said:

The Montreal Expos of the NHL.

How does one reach Danny Wegman and ask him to buy this team from Terry? 

Like can we pull a boat up to his place on Canandaigua and drop a nice hand written note? If we can enough signatures on a petition can he be legally obligated to buy the team? Secretly replace all the "Josh Jaq's" with "Domin-O's" at all the WNY Wegmans? Crowdfund a billboard? 

Does Ryan Reynolds still want a hockey team? Can we get Rachel Bush or somebody to tweet him and ask? 

[Carmel Corn]

1 minute ago, Crusader1969 said:

This is where I am at.  I don't care they have Tage and Cozens signed.  
mitts is a more determined winger than Skinner and Tuch combined.  One of those two need go this summer (or before) to help bring in a legit top pair RHD 

Skinner ain't going nowhere without a massive salary retention....not going to happen.

[Thorner]

53 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

 

Considering that statistical deep dive we saw this offseason that suggested Dahlin on his off hand dropped off a little, but not a lot, I find the move to be somewhat puzzling. I understand teams occasionally get by with D men playing their offhand on top pairs, but it’s not common, and *aiming* to do so, right off the bat, and basically pigeonholing yourself into needing to do so across the board, seems fairly questionable.

We are measuring a value in value out trade that’s a risk by first IMMEDIATELY spotting the “lost value” side by our looming positional requirements.

Very risky.

On the plus side, I’ve been begging for a hockey trade. This is that. I also spoke a lot about how we even may need to “lose” a trade by value to address a position of need. So I am actually ok with this type of deal in theory.

But then you see it was for a..left shot D. Our position of greatest strength. It admittedly doesn’t make much sense to me based on the parameters I’m using to evaluate.

Maybe we need to admit to different parameters. Maybe we really just are a budget team 

Maybe we really are just Terry’d. Can we make a strong argument that Adams thinks this will improve the team, in the NOW term? Cause even if we didn’t agree with him, that would be preferable

Are the options clueless GM or inept owner?

Someone tell me why this trade makes us better right now. Actually asking, cause that would be best. 

Edited March 6 by Thorny

[GASabresIUFAN]

What a friggin joke of a franchise.  Just what we needed a defender who can't defend.  Great.  KA has to be the worst GM in history. 

[pi2000]

2 minutes ago, Buffalonill said:

So let me get this straight. We develop the player make him Somewhat of a star And then we trade him for a player that we have to develop

Make it makes sense

 

In the land of the blind, one-eyed man is King.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Just now, Thorny said:

Someone tell me why this trade makes us better right now 

It doesn't.  We now have zero playmakers on the roster.  Zero forwards who play a two way game consistently and a crap load of D who don't play D very well.  Yeah!

[pi2000]

[Carmel Corn]

Hoping to see Casey vs. Sam in the Stanley Cup Finals.....Hopefully one of these Ex-Sabres will win the cup and further emphasize the point that it is better to LEAVE Buffalo

[oddoublee]

20 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

I guess I'm almost alone in this, but I'm looking forward to seeing Byram play when he suits up.  Makes me want to watch the games a bit more than if no moves were made.

i typically enjoy your takes - and still do! but i dont see it here. this team needs more veteran top 6 players - not less. the pipeline and krebs is all well and good - but they are not, nor guaranteed to be better than mitts. 

offensively, as of now, this team is worse off for the next 2 years (based on no additional significant moves being made, of course). 

[Curt]

9 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

It’s hilarious how over valued Mittlestadt is on here.   

Has a career high of 15 goals, and 59 points….  a career -40.

He was part of the problem, not the solution.

Just seems like bad value for a trade though, no?  Mittelstadt seems to have turned his career around and Byram is kind of struggling.
 

Byram has all the potential in the world, but Buffalo needs guys who are ready now.

[Thorner]

55 minutes ago, Crusader1969 said:

Looks like he plays on the Avs 2nd pair as the RD.    so that's good

 
I am a big supporter of Casey.  Really turning into a top player on the team, and battles   
hate to see him go while floaters like Tuch and Skinner remain 

 

 

His numbers apparently torpedoed on the right 

[Big Guava]

Don't like it on its surface but not going to get up in arms about a player I have never really seen play either.

 

Let's see what happens.

 

 

Edited March 6 by Big Guava

[Thorner]

I’m so tired of the “well, this guy CAN play his offhand” narrative. You can’t do that with every guy lmao. We can’t be throwing away little bits of value everywhere haha, like we have *any*!at all to spare. I fail to understand why we were in a position with Casey where we need to sacrifice one iota. Biggest trade chip and we take a willing positional hit? Why??

the, “this guy CAN do it” stuff only works if that’s not your entire D core 

[breese866]

who is the better payer of the two?

[pi2000]

Just now, seer775 said:

How tf did he not get a pick back too?

Mitts seemed like the last guy to want to leave. He was a for sure core player.

What is KA smoking.

Oh no they traded their 15g scorer who is a career -40!
How will they ever win another game!

Over the past 2 seasons, his career best seasons… Casey is averaging 0.20 goals/game, Byram 0.19 g/gm.

[Believer]

8 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

https://eprinkside.com/2024/02/02/trade-grades-for-the-2023-24-nhl-trade-deadline 

Adams seems to like taking gambles on injury prone players… Tuch, Samuelson, now Byram… 

[Thorner]

58 minutes ago, steveoath said:

Don’t like this in a vacuum. Talks about developing players then gets rid when they’ve developed. Sounds like RK snake oil. 
 

 

This part stings. What we we developing them FOR? To parlay into further pieces we can develop?

[mjd1001]

2 hours ago, oddoublee said:

i typically enjoy your takes - and still do! but i dont see it here. this team needs more veteran top 6 players - not less. the pipeline and krebs is all well and good - but they are not, nor guaranteed to be better than mitts. 

offensively, as of now, this team is worse off for the next 2 years (based on no additional significant moves being made, of course). 

Byram is so young, but 2 years ago he played great in the playoffs for Colorado. So, without concussions, he could be one of those good-to-very-good D-men at an accelerated age.  He has those worrying concussions, but when you watched his entire playoff run 2 years ago, he looked like he could be a star on the back end.

Plus he's a player. An actual Player who had at least one great playoff run individually, he's not another 'draft pick' that we can look forward to in a few years. He's a guy that has injury issues, but has had some great games as a young guy that we get to see play now.

And Mitts, is he better than Cozens or Tage?  To me, when everyone is healthy, I think ultimately he is the 3rd center on this team, which means he isn't going to be a guy that gets 1st line Power play time for the rest of his career. I guess Mitts "may" deserver $6-$7m per year, but I don't want to give that to a 3rd guy who is likely to get closer to 3rd line minutes. 

It also seems like there are a LOT of posters here criticizing the Sabres for thinking Cozens and Tage were better than they were, making the case they simply had 'career' years.....can't the same thinking be applied to Mitts this year? Difference is, Tage's 'career' year was almost 50 goals. Cozens was 30+ goals when he was 22. Mitts current season 'could' be a career year when he is on a 20 goal pace already at his age 25 season.

As for the D-group....Maybe Dahlin wears down with his heavy minutes. Power too. Samuelsson is injured all the time.  Maybe, MAYBE bringing in another young, highly regarded guy...you can reduce the minutes of everyone (spreading them out among the whole group) and make them all better/less likely to be injured.

 I'm trying to look at this in a positive way.  The negative thinking (I got negative in a BIG way with Cozens earlier this season) and the negativity of this board finally got to me about 2 weeks ago and I'm choosing to look at the positive side of things.

Edited March 6 by mjd1001

[Thorner]

1 minute ago, breese866 said:

who is the better payer of the two?

Right now? Objectively Casey