Avalanche Swap Bowen Byram For Casey Mittelstadt
The Colorado Avalanche finally woke up from their power nap. The Avs aren’t going down without a fight and completely shook up their lineup with a couple of trades. The most notable being swapping Bowen Byram for Casey Mittelstadt. We have a lot to go over so buckle those seat belts.
Kevin Weekes at ESPN was the first to report the news:
What’s funny is last year I wrote a post about if the Avalanche should trade Byram. It was a fair question given the lingering injuries and lack of performance. Byram has a ton of potential but we really haven’t seen it lately. Colorado did what I thought they might. Cashed in on Byram bringing back a player that can help them now.
This trade really is a sliding door. It’s two trades wrapped in one. Byram is leaving but the Avs also traded for his replacement with Sean Walker. The Flyers are also taking back Ryan Johansen while also collecting a first round pick.
In totality, the transaction really looks like this:
Colorado gets Walker, Mittelstadt, and a 5th.
Buffalo gets Byram.
Philadelphia gets a first from Colorado and the dead money of Johansen who they already waived.
Are the Avs a better team today? Time will tell. It’s a worthwhile gamble. There is still plenty of risk involved. Is Mittelstadt really the number two center they have been searching for? What if Byram pops off with the Sabres? Is Walker really an upgrade on the blue line? This one is going to be fascinating to track.
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