It's rare to see a pure hockey trade at the NHL deadline. Typically, the deals this time of the year consist of one team adding an NHL player and the other club getting back picks or prospects.
However, the Avalanche and Sabres delivered a one-for-one stunner on Wednesday, as Colorado sent defenseman Bowen Byram to Buffalo in exchange for center Casey Mittelstadt.
It's a deal involving two teams on very different ends of the competitive spectrum. The Avalanche are gearing up for another run at a Stanley Cup after winning it all in 2022. The acquisition of Mittelstadt and defenseman Sean Walker, who was brought in thanks to a trade earlier on Wednesday with the Flyers, boosts Colorado's chances of emerging out of the Western Conference.
Meanwhile, Buffalo has not taken the step out of its rebuild that many thought it would in 2023-24. The Sabres are well out of a playoff spot, and instead of contending this year, the team continues to look to the future. Adding Byram gives the club another young piece to its emerging core.
Who won the deal? The Sporting News hands out grades to both the Avs and the Sabres for the Mittlestadt-Byram swap.
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Casey Mittelstadt-Bowen Byram trade grades
Avalanche: B+
The Avalanche have been looking for a second-line center ever since Nazem Kadri left in free agency after the team won the 2022 Stanley Cup. Colorado tried youngster Alex Newhook before he was shipped to Montreal last year, then stuck it out with J.T. Compher before he left in free agency last summer. The team brought in Ryan Johansen this year, but he did not get the results they were hoping for, especially with his expensive cap hit.
Mittelstadt is going to be given the opportunity to take over as the man down the middle on the second forward line. He has been an exceptional passer the past two seasons in Buffalo, and he was leading the Sabres in points with 47 in 62 games before he was traded. The No. 8 pick from 2017 broke out last year with 59 points and is on track to potentially surpass that this campaign.
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While he's not an exceptional skater, Mittelstadt plays with a ton of skill and poise. He has seemingly figured it out after a rocky start to his NHL tenure, and at 25, he could be a piece for the Avalanche moving forward, though it's worth noting that he'll be a restricted free agent this summer.
The Avalanche have several exceptional wingers to deploy. Mittelstadt should get to play with some combination of Valeri Nichushkin (once he officially returns from the NHLPA assistance program), Artturi Lehkonen, Jonathan Drouin, or captain Gabriel Landeskog (if he is indeed on track to return for the playoffs). He is going to be surrounded by more talent than he was in Buffalo, making him an intriguing addition to one of the Stanley Cup contenders.
Colorado was eventually going to have to move one of their defensemen, as the team was not going to be able to move forward paying Cale Makar, Devon Toews, Samuel Girard, and Byram. Many thought Girard would be the odd man out, but it turned out to be Byram, who has a history of concussions that might halt his progression further.
Sabres: A-
The Sabres aren't one of the teams going all-in at the deadline, as the club sits 10 points out of a playoff spot. However, Buffalo used this deadline as a chance to build its future, and it did just that by adding Byram.
The left-handed 22-year-old has shown flashes of being a legit top-four defender in the NHL, thanks mostly to his elite skating. Byram played a major part in the Avalanche winning the Stanley Cup two years ago, posting nine assists in 20 games while averaging 19:21 time on ice. His 20 points this year are on track to surpass his previous career high of 24, which he accumulated last year in just 42 games.
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Why would the Avalanche give up on him? Outside of the fact that they already are paying a number of blue-liners, concussions are the big concern for Byram. The No. 4 pick from 2019 hasn't played a full NHL season yet despite being in his fourth. Multiple head injuries have prohibited him from getting a full campaign in, and the long-term effects of those ailments are undoubtedly concerning.
However, if Byram can stay healthy, this is a steal for the Sabres. Buffalo already has several young studs on the blue line in Rasmus Dahlin (23 years old), Owen Power (21), and Mattias Samuelsson (23), as well as up-and-comer Ryan Johnson (22). Adding a 22-year-old in Byram to that group makes the Buffalo blue line very dangerous moving forward.
While Mittelstadt was a nice fit with the Sabres, it did not appear as though the two sides were going to agree on an extension. Buffalo already committed long-term to centers Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens. Instead of trying to figure out what to do with the pending RFA this summer, the Sabres swapped him for a player who's two years younger with a high upside.
