Judging the off-season: the big trade(s)

[dudacek]

As last season slipped away, calls increased for Adams to dip into his rich store of futures and make a move to fix things.

He eventually did, but not in dramatic fashion and not necessarily in the way people were thinking.

Ultimately, the move came in 2 parts and effectively worked out to flipping Casey Mittelstadt and Matt Savoie for Bowen Byram, Ryan McLeod and Tyler Tullio.

Looking at the two trades combined, what do you think of the moves and what kind of impact will they have on the coming season?

[Big Guava]

I'll judge it based on results and not what I think since that is meaningless.

 

IMO, the biggest off-season addition was Lindy Ruff.

[nfreeman]

As an optimist, I gave the moves the high grade, but of course it's much too soon to tell.

I don't think KA could've gotten more for Mitts or for Savoie.  I also think it's reasonably likely that both Byram and McLeod will play large roles on the Sabres next season and play well in doing so.  Either way, though, KA needs both of them to be good and to contribute to a major improvement in team performance.  If either of them stinks, and the guy the Sabres traded for him excels on his new team, it will inevitably reflect poorly on KA.

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

I'm still waiting for "the big trade"

Trading assets for a 4th line player (Malenstyn) and a 3rd line center aren't big trades.

Also trading a player you weren't inclined to re-sign for a player with one year left on his contract, that you probably can't afford to re-sign long-term and who plays a position in a similar style to 2 other players who have already committed to with huge long-term contracts smacks of desperation rather than roster improvement.

McLeod as a 3rd line center is not an unreasonable acquisition and the cost is whatever.  Savoie was one prospect is a sea of quality forward prospects and is unlikely to be missed.  However, downgrading for Mitts to McLeod is a significant downgrade for the roster.  McLeod may skate faster than Mitts, but he isn't a better passer, goal scorer, or as physical a player.  Their two-way play maybe about the same and both can play center or wing.  If we get 35 points out of McLeod we'll be lucky as we watch Mitts put up 75 points or more as the 2nd line center for the contending Avs.  He also is an RFA after this coming season

As to Byram, I'm just not a fan of his acquisition.  I fully understand that KA was trying to get the best asset he could for a quality player (Mitts), who, for reasons only know to KA and TP, he didn't even offer a new contract too.  Byram doesn't bring a skill set we don't already have with Dahlin, Power and even Clifton. He isn't great defensively and to make matters worse, he only has one year left on his contract and we already need to re-sign Quinn, JJP, McLeod, and Levi.  The theory is he'd be a good partner for Dahlin or maybe Power.  In 138 minutes with Dahlin last year (our 9th most common pairing) they had an XGF of 46% and an actual GF of 47%.  Power with Byram was even worse with an xGF of 37% in over 60 minutes.  Color me un-impressed.  

Again KA is banking on a rebound from core players and improvement from kids like JPP, Quinn and Benson to make his team better.  As  Joe Yerdon said on Biron/Dunleavy's podcast, KA's moves look the moves of a GM trying to make marginal improved on an established playoff team and not the moves of a GM trying to turn a moribund franchise around.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 18 by GASabresIUFAN

[GoPuckYourself]

I thought Adams did quite well on both trades, we got our puck moving defensemen and our 3rd line center, added speed and playoff/Stanley Cup experience with both players which is a huge plus.

[dudacek]

15 minutes ago, GoPuckYourself said:

I thought Adams did quite well on both trades, we got our puck moving defensemen and our 3rd line center, added speed and playoff/Stanley Cup experience with both players which is a huge plus.

 I hadn't really thought of this too much but

Girgensons/Skinner/Mittelstadt/Olofsson combined had never played a playoff game

Lafferty's played 21, Zucker 52, Byram 27 and McLeod 56

[That Aud Smell]

I’m fine with the Savoie trade.

I’ve grown to feel confused by the Mittelstadt trade. This team is missing a top-6 forward. 

[Dr. Who]

I'm so confused, I'm not even going to vote.

[Derrico]

22 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

I’m fine with the Savoie trade.

I’ve grown to feel confused by the Mittelstadt trade. This team is missing a top-6 forward. 

This is going to come down to Bo Byrum returning to his draft/rookie potential.  If he returns to even close to his rookie season then this was a huge trade for the Sabres.  He just turned 23.  Knowing that D take longer to develop, I think he still has top-pairing potential.  If he turns into a top-pair guy this trade is a no-brainer for a 3C who everyone was ready to run out of town two years ago.  If he doesn't?  That's the risk Adams took and will ultimately be a big reason for his firing.

Byrum could still end up being a real stud and big part of a future playoff/stanely cup run.  If someone posted on this message board 2 years ago that we could get Bo for Mitts they would be laughed out of here.  Obviously it also comes with enormous risk tho.

[Taro T]

Didn't vote because neither option 1 nor 2 seemed quite right.  

Still expect there to be one additional trade for a 2W.  Will add my 2 cents when we see whether it actually happens or not.

[Thorny]

As of right now Mittelstadt for Byram is a significant loss. It’s really all I can evaluate on because, while I very much liked Savoie for McLeod, that was the second, complementary, “we have to see the rest of the Casey trade” component - presumably we’d have swapped Savoie for a McLeod-level defender instead, had we not switched from C to D in the Byram trade. The corresponding move would have been dependant.

Would i rather, this moment in time, Casey on my team (and whoever we’d have gotten for Savoie) than Byram on my team, with McLeod? Yes. Casey is a lot better right now than Byram.

The narrative can change: Byram can close that gap or even surpass Casey, or McLeod can turn out to be the type of steal that makes it unlikely that corresponding D asset I mentioned would have been equal. 

But right now: yep give me Casey. But it’s not really a situation we are backed into a corner on so it’s not the biggest concern in a vacuum 

Can’t vote B/c I’m between 2 and 3

Edited August 18 by Thorny

[Weave]

I don’t care about losing Savoie.  I kinda care about losing Mitts, but we did need to change the mix up front.

I still think getting Byram back was more about timeline than roster.

I think it boils down to, no faith in the front office to make the right decisions with these offseason moves.

No choice in the poll for that, really.

[thewookie1]

3 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I'm still waiting for "the big trade"

Trading assets for a 4th line player (Malenstyn) and a 3rd line center aren't big trades.

Also trading a player you weren't inclined to re-sign for a player with one year left on his contract, that you probably can't afford to re-sign long-term and who plays a position in a similar style to 2 other players who have already committed to with huge long-term contracts smacks of desperation rather than roster improvement.

McLeod as a 3rd line center is not an unreasonable acquisition and the cost is whatever.  Savoie was one prospect is a sea of quality forward prospects and is unlikely to be missed.  However, downgrading for Mitts to McLeod is a significant downgrade for the roster.  McLeod may skate faster than Mitts, but he isn't a better passer, goal scorer, or as physical a player.  Their two-way play maybe about the same and both can play center or wing.  If we get 35 points out of McLeod we'll be lucky as we watch Mitts put up 75 points or more as the 2nd line center for the contending Avs.  He also is an RFA after this coming season

As to Byram, I'm just not a fan of his acquisition.  I fully understand that KA was trying to get the best asset he could for a quality player (Mitts), who, for reasons only know to KA and TP, he didn't even offer a new contract too.  Byram doesn't bring a skill set we don't already have with Dahlin, Power and even Clifton. He isn't great defensively and to make matters worse, he only has one year left on his contract and we already need to re-sign Quinn, JJP, McLeod, and Levi.  The theory is he'd be a good partner for Dahlin or maybe Power.  In 138 minutes with Dahlin last year (our 9th most common pairing) they had an XGF of 46% and an actual GF of 47%.  Power with Byram was even worse with an xGF of 37% in over 60 minutes.  Color me un-impressed.  

Again KA is banking on a rebound from core players and improvement from kids like JPP, Quinn and Benson to make his team better.  As  Joe Yerdon said on Biron/Dunleavy's podcast, KA's moves look the moves of a GM trying to make marginal improved on an established playoff team and not the moves of a GM trying to turn a moribund franchise around.

This part just sounds like sour grapes from Yerdon that we didn't make some absurd trade this offseason. No sane GM is going out and trading Power or Cozens for some sort of Hail Mary acquisition. We have most of our core and roster filled already so I'm not sure where he wants us to put some sort of major piece. 

 

49 minutes ago, Thorny said:

As of right now Mittelstadt for Byram is a significant loss. It’s really all I can evaluate on because, while I very much liked Savoie for McLeod, that was the second, complementary, “we have to see the rest of the Casey trade” component - presumably we’d have swapped Savoie for a McLeod-level defender instead, had we not switched from C to D in the Byram trade. The corresponding move would have been dependant.

Would i rather, this moment in time, Casey on my team (and whoever we’d have gotten for Savoie) than Byram on my team, with McLeod? Yes. Casey is a lot better right now than Byram.

The narrative can change: Byram can close that gap or even surpass Casey, or McLeod can turn out to be the type of steal that makes it unlikely that corresponding D asset I mentioned would have been equal. 

But right now: yep give me Casey. But it’s not really a situation we are backed into a corner on so it’s not the biggest concern in a vacuum 

Can’t vote B/c I’m between 2 and 3

 

This endless obsession with Mitts by you two gets rather old to be frank. He took a nice deal in Colorado; he very likely would wanted Thompson/Cozens' contract here and paying your 3 centers 7mil each isn't a great move. You guys complained we don't make any big trades and that Adams wouldn't make a bolder move and yet when he does; "oh no, not that guy."

Personally I agree with the take that Byram wasn't the right target styled defenseman and struck down plenty of that deal on CapFriendly. But we have Byram now and as such he should be supported as one of our guys. 

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 hour ago, thewookie1 said:

This part just sounds like sour grapes from Yerdon that we didn't make some absurd trade this offseason. No sane GM is going out and trading Power or Cozens for some sort of Hail Mary acquisition. We have most of our core and roster filled already so I'm not sure where he wants us to put some sort of major piece. 

Yerdon wasn’t saying that at all.  What he was saying is that KA should have done more to upgrade the forwards, which is exactly what so many of us have been saying.  We have cap space and the prospects; use them to get a top 6 forward.  He never said anything about trading Power, or Cozens or an other core piece.  Dumping Skinner and Mitts may have saved money, but it also sent 40+ goals and 100+ points out of town.  The “replacements,” Zucker and McLeod, had 62 points between them last season.

[Thorny]

2 hours ago, thewookie1 said:

This part just sounds like sour grapes from Yerdon that we didn't make some absurd trade this offseason. No sane GM is going out and trading Power or Cozens for some sort of Hail Mary acquisition. We have most of our core and roster filled already so I'm not sure where he wants us to put some sort of major piece. 

 

 

This endless obsession with Mitts by you two gets rather old to be frank. He took a nice deal in Colorado; he very likely would wanted Thompson/Cozens' contract here and paying your 3 centers 7mil each isn't a great move. You guys complained we don't make any big trades and that Adams wouldn't make a bolder move and yet when he does; "oh no, not that guy."

Personally I agree with the take that Byram wasn't the right target styled defenseman and struck down plenty of that deal on CapFriendly. But we have Byram now and as such he should be supported as one of our guys. 

 

I’ve posted like 5 times in a month. To be frank: your posting in general gets old 

“Endless obsession” because I detailed the fact I liked Casey better in a couple paragraphs, because it was the question proposed, and it’s an “obsession” because you don’t like the answer 

“Sour grapes”…”endless obsession”…”you guys complained…” 

you have a vendetta against so many because you want everyone to just be happy with what we have. We are cursed, so hard done by and unlucky, whatever it is this week 

- - - 

like, you say it in your post: you literally want me to *not care about the return*, or the cost, merely because i advocated for as much help as we could get. What does that even mean? I didn’t advocate for trading Casey. Because I said Adams should be open to improving everywhere I need to “shut up” about dealing Mittelstadt for a guy who performed as our worst defenseman since acquisition?

you just want to police dissatisfaction. In the midst of 13 years. 

this stinks. reading and emojis may be the way to go when it comes to this place 

 

“we have Byram and as such he should be supported”

lol what are we even doing here 

Edited August 19 by Thorny

[GoPuckYourself]

5 hours ago, dudacek said:

 I hadn't really thought of this too much but

Girgensons/Skinner/Mittelstadt/Olofsson combined had never played a playoff game

Lafferty's played 21, Zucker 52, Byram 27 and McLeod 56

Yeah it doesn't mean everything but it's definitely helpful to have guys who have been there, done that at least imo.

[thewookie1]

3 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Yerdon wasn’t saying that at all.  What he was saying is that KA should have done more to upgrade the forwards, which is exactly what so many of us have been saying.  We have cap space and the prospects; use them to get a top 6 forward.  He never said anything about trading Power, or Cozens or an other core piece.  Dumping Skinner and Mitts may have saved money, but it also sent 40+ goals and 100+ points out of town.  The “replacements,” Zucker and McLeod, had 62 points between them last season.

I'd like a Top 6 forward to but I have zero idea where'd we get one from; feels like are choices are either patience or trade multiple pieces for a single player and just pray they don't get hurt or walk asap. Plus all the freaking old teams are refusing to rebuild for example Washington and Pittsburgh thus leaving the vast majority of trade prospects trapped in NHL trades which doesn't do us any good. Meanwhile UFAs rarely work out for anything besides causing cap strife down the line. 

2 hours ago, Thorny said:

I’ve posted like 5 times in a month. To be frank: your posting in general gets old 

“Endless obsession” because I detailed the fact I liked Casey better in a couple paragraphs, because it was the question proposed, and it’s an “obsession” because you don’t like the answer 

“Sour grapes”…”endless obsession”…”you guys complained…” 

you have a vendetta against so many because you want everyone to just be happy with what we have. We are cursed, so hard done by and unlucky, whatever it is this week 

- - - 

like, you say it in your post: you literally want me to *not care about the return*, or the cost, merely because i advocated for as much help as we could get. What does that even mean? I didn’t advocate for trading Casey. Because I said Adams should be open to improving everywhere I need to “shut up” about dealing Mittelstadt for a guy who performed as our worst defenseman since acquisition?

you just want to police dissatisfaction. In the midst of 13 years. 

this stinks. reading and emojis may be the way to go when it comes to this place 

 

“we have Byram and as such he should be supported”

lol what are we even doing here 

 

Well in some ways we should..... we have an NHL hockey team in Buffalo and only 31 other cities have them. Make the best with what you have and hope things work out. What else can we actually do? I'm not willing to let the team leave in order to get a new owner regardless if they won 10 Cups in a row afterward; it'd be meaningless if they aren't in Buffalo. I just don't see purpose in complaining about something we can't change.

 

As for complaining about us being cursed; well to be frank sometimes that's the only way to see it. Both Buffalo teams, regardless of circumstances, ownership, players, etc will always seem to find some magical way of endlessly being screwed by injuries, league rules or even just acts of God. 

The Sabres, and the Blues who were an expansion team, are the only teams the greatest NHL coach of all time didn't win a Cup with. The Sabres had one of the greatest goalies to ever play the sport and we very nearly did win it all if not for us getting screwed by the league. 

The Bills have a list 10 miles long of bad luck and inexplicable occurrences.

The mathematical odds that both teams are 0-6 in Championships and seem to always either get riddled with injuries any promising year or outright choke are infinitesimally small.  

While every team has injuries and controversial calls can you find any other professional team that can literally point to 2 illegal playoff goals, a forward lateral and a fumbled kickoff all counting against our side.

Staying positive that eventually we'll get a lucky break is the only way to even stay sane because frankly sometimes it feels we could have an All Star staff and team and still lose somehow.

Edited August 19 by thewookie1

[Thorny]

43 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

I'd like a Top 6 forward to but I have zero idea where'd we get one from; feels like are choices are either patience or trade multiple pieces for a single player and just pray they don't get hurt or walk asap. Plus all the freaking old teams are refusing to rebuild for example Washington and Pittsburgh thus leaving the vast majority of trade prospects trapped in NHL trades which doesn't do us any good. Meanwhile UFAs rarely work out for anything besides causing cap strife down the line. 

 

Well in some ways we should..... we have an NHL hockey team in Buffalo and only 31 other cities have them. Make the best with what you have and hope things work out. What else can we actually do? I'm not willing to let the team leave in order to get a new owner regardless if they won 10 Cups in a row afterward; it'd be meaningless if they aren't in Buffalo. I just don't see purpose in complaining about something we can't change.

 

As for complaining about us being cursed; well to be frank sometimes that's the only way to see it. Both Buffalo teams, regardless of circumstances, ownership, players, etc will always seem to find some magical way of endlessly being screwed by injuries, league rules or even just acts of God. 

The Sabres, and the Blues who were an expansion team, are the only teams the greatest NHL coach of all time didn't win a Cup with. The Sabres had one of the greatest goalies to ever play the sport and we very nearly did win it all if not for us getting screwed by the league. 

The Bills have a list 10 miles long of bad luck and inexplicable occurrences.

The mathematical odds that both teams are 0-6 in Championships and seem to always either get riddled with injuries any promising year or outright choke are infinitesimally small.  

While every team has injuries and controversial calls can you find any other professional team that can literally point to 2 illegal playoff goals, a forward lateral and a fumbled kickoff all counting against our side.

Staying positive that eventually we'll get a lucky break is the only way to even stay sane because frankly sometimes it feels we could have an All Star staff and team and still lose somehow.

I’m talking about Casey Mittelstadt, not the Sabres leaving Buffalo 

the Sabres aren’t leaving Buffalo. It’s like promo is having dinner parties I’m not on the invite list for 

[GASabresIUFAN]

15 minutes ago, Thorny said:

I’m talking about Casey Mittelstadt, not the Sabres leaving Buffalo 

the Sabres aren’t leaving Buffalo. It’s like promo is having dinner parties I’m not on the invite list for 

Give up Thorny.  He doesn't understand.  He's ok with the status quo.

We have been on the giving end of the "big trade" so many times in recent years that we have forgotten what one really looks like coming the other way.  Trading away ROR, Eichel, Kane and Reinhart are examples of what we have been clamoring for KA to finally do in reverse.  Go get an establish good to excellent veteran in his prime for picks and prospects. 

Other GM gets these deals done all the time, why can't Adams? 

Mitts for Byram isn't the "big trade" because the "big trade" is supposed to improve your NHL roster without depleting other areas of your NHL roster.  Trading your best playmaker for a 3rd offensive defenseman doesn't qualify as the big trade because it depleted the forward group with no adequate replacement on the roster or in the system.  It also didn't fill an area of need on the defense since this new offensive D isn't good defensively and the Sabres have been one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL for the last few years.

 

[dudacek]

7 hours ago, Derrico said:

This is going to come down to Bo Byrum returning to his draft/rookie potential.  If he returns to even close to his rookie season then this was a huge trade for the Sabres.  He just turned 23.  Knowing that D take longer to develop, I think he still has top-pairing potential.  If he turns into a top-pair guy this trade is a no-brainer for a 3C who everyone was ready to run out of town two years ago.  If he doesn't?  That's the risk Adams took and will ultimately be a big reason for his firing.

Byrum could still end up being a real stud and big part of a future playoff/stanely cup run.  If someone posted on this message board 2 years ago that we could get Bo for Mitts they would be laughed out of here.  Obviously it also comes with enormous risk tho.

So I’m not completely alone around here.

I love me some Jack Quinn, but I think it's kinda weird that Sabrespace has annointed Quinn a surefire stud this year after he put up 58 points In his first 104 games, but is lukewarm about Byram who has 72 in his first 161. Byram is just 3 months older and to my mind has a similar potential to pop.

He plays fast and hard and I think he’s better defensively than last years numbers suggest. The team’s biggest need was a top 4 D and I think we got one just before he enters his prime.

I like the concept of McLeod: the speed and his fancystats. I think this board overrates what he’s going to bring, but he will be better at protecting leads, transition and penalty killing than Casey was. 

The team is going to miss Casey’s playmaking, his puck possession and his ability to move up the lineup. And they’ll miss it even more if Cozens or Thompson gets hurt. I do think, however, that the fans are overlooking how some of Casey’s offence is going to be replaced by Byram.

But they used two areas of strength to address 2 areas of weakness and the team is more complete and balanced as a result.

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

Byram - Pts/Game played

21/22 .57

22/23 .48

23/24 .40

Quinn - pts/game player

22/23 .31

23/24 .70 - This is what has people so excited.

39 minutes ago, dudacek said:

The team’s biggest need was a top 4 D and I think we got one just before he enters his prime.

The team's biggest need was a top 4 D who played good defense and had a complimentary skill set at Dahlin and Power.  This is not Byram.  I'm also a little bearish on Bryam as his defense and production have decreased each season in the NHL.  He is still young enough to rebound, but the trend is not going to in the right direction.

[PerreaultForever]

I still do not see the logic in the Mitts trade. You spend all that time developing your 2C and when he matures you trade him away. Doesn't make any sense to me unless it's just about $$$. and if it is that sucks. 

Trading Savoie was fine because we do have a bunch of hotshot offensive prospects but it can also be looked at as a perfect illustration of the futility of this organization. All that rah rah rah over getting a high draft pick who fell to us and then you flip him for the type of player top teams draft late in the first or even the 2nd or 3rd.  Ya, we need that guy, but that's not a very sound strategy. 

[Taro T]

4 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

I still do not see the logic in the Mitts trade. You spend all that time developing your 2C and when he matures you trade him away. Doesn't make any sense to me unless it's just about $$$. and if it is that sucks. 

Trading Savoie was fine because we do have a bunch of hotshot offensive prospects but it can also be looked at as a perfect illustration of the futility of this organization. All that rah rah rah over getting a high draft pick who fell to us and then you flip him for the type of player top teams draft late in the first or even the 2nd or 3rd.  Ya, we need that guy, but that's not a very sound strategy. 

Speaking as one who did not like the Mittelstadt trade, there is a logic to it.  (Whether the logic pans out or not remains to be seen.)

But Mittelstadt wasn't viewed as the 2C - that's Cozens role.  And, though Mitts was likely the best 2 way F this team had, it is unlikely he'd ever be viewed as a true 3C.  (Which isn't a bad thing, IMHO, having 3 - 1/2C's is actually a good thing and at the price tags for both Thompson and Cozens something the team could afford to have.)

As frustrating as it is, and with exposing as much hubris as it does, Adams has been (and would add it appears with ownership's blessing) working towards making this team a perennial contender a year or 2 from now.  And IF he's right about Byram (which is still possible) being a legit top 4 D-man (more specifically a 2/3) when he hits his prime and with Kulich, Östlund, and (formerly) Savoie (who's now been supplanted by Helenius) ready to be useful in that timeframe on ELC/1st RFA contracts then the team will net out to be better in that timeframe than it would've been with Mittelstadt and another Jokiharju on the roster.

And, it is hubris to be more worried about a future 1-2 seasons away when his job should be on the line this season should playoffs not finally become a reality again.  But he sure seems to be following the blue print Regier laid out way back when at the time suffering became not just a distasteful word but a way of life.

But also, trading Savoie (or any of the at the time "big 4" prospects for what is needed in other areas has always been a significant part of the plan throughout the entire drought.  They've been lousy for years and have accumulated high-ish end prospects that they simply don't/won't have room for them all.  Under Regier, they never got beyond the accumulate future talent mode; under Murray, that phase was skipped in large part and might've worked had he gotten more time &/or he'd've ever seen players as humans and not horses; under Botterill, they never got beyond the accumulate future talent mode primarily because he wouldn't know a legit HC even if the guy bit him on the arse, he had no idea what a legit goalie looks like and couldn't figure out what to do with one when he lucked into one, and he loved swapping out edge of useful picks for 4th liners that he thought could be 3rd liners but tended to get played even higher than that in the lineup.  And, now, we're watching a still relatively inexperienced GM take his 1st foray outside accumulate future talent mode.  He believes he's accumulated 5 of 6 pieces necessary for a legit top 6 and has swapped out an incoherent bottom 6 for one with an identity.  If he's lucked into the youthful goaltending he's maintained/obtained being ready while still youthful; then that hubris could be rewarded as this most likely is a playoff team with a repeat of the good versions of both his young goalies even if he never manages to land that 6th top 6F.

And back to Savoie again.  Not sure what part of trading from a surplus (especially a future surplus) for something the team lacks isn't a sound strategy.  Heck, the good teams are always trading away future pieces to maintain / upgrade today's rosters even when the cupboards have been laid bare.  The Sabres cupboards are still quite well stocked and as Thorny always says they get 7 or so more chances (only 2-3 of which are legit opportunities, but they still have those 2-3 legit opportunities) to restock it next summer too.

[Carmel Corn]

13 hours ago, thewookie1 said:

 

This endless obsession with Mitts by you two gets rather old to be frank. He took a nice deal in Colorado; he very likely would wanted Thompson/Cozens' contract here and paying your 3 centers 7mil each isn't a great move. You guys complained we don't make any big trades and that Adams wouldn't make a bolder move and yet when he does; "oh no, not that guy."

Personally I agree with the take that Byram wasn't the right target styled defenseman and struck down plenty of that deal on CapFriendly. But we have Byram now and as such he should be supported as one of our guys. 

 

Casey’s new contract is $5.75, not 7.0 mill

[Pimlach]

18 hours ago, GoPuckYourself said:

I thought Adams did quite well on both trades, we got our puck moving defensemen and our 3rd line center, added speed and playoff/Stanley Cup experience with both players which is a huge plus.

We already had the 3rd line center who was capable and skilled enough to move up to 2 or 1.   We will see how good Byram actually is this season, if he is really good then signing him will be the next challenge.   
 

Seems like a roundabout way to build when what we really needed is a stay at home RHD.  We have puck movers (Dahlin, Power, Joker, Johnson).