Mere minutes after acquiring Sean Walker from the Philadelphia Flyers, the Colorado Avalanche are making another trade call to acquire Casey Mittelstadt from the Buffalo Sabres.
The Avs are sending Bowen Byram back in a true one-for-one deal, according to The Athletic's Chris Johnston.
Colorado is shipping out a first-round pick, Ryan Johansen and Bowen Byram, and getting back Walker and Mittelstadt in return. NHL.com's Dan Rosen summed it up nicely:
“The official COL-PHI trade is Sean Walker and a fifth-round pick in the 2026 draft to Colorado with Philadelphia getting a 1st in 2025 and forward Ryan Johansen. The 1st is top-10 protected. COL also trading Bowen Byram to BUF for Casey Mittelstadt, which is big.”
The trades are coming fast and furious two days ahead of the Mar. 8 NHL Trade Deadline. The Avs have been the busiest on Wednesday, but Adam Henrique is an Edmonton Oiler, Vladimir Tarasenko is a Florida Panther, and the day is still young.
Casey Mittelstadt, Bowen Byram swapping places
At first glance, the trade looks to be a win for both teams. The Avalanche are full of offensively capable defensemen — see Cale Makar, Devon Toews, Samuel Girard — while they clearly prioritized a focus on defense ahead of the deadline.
That's why Avs GM Chris MacFarland gave up a precious first-round selection to bring Walker from Philadelphia to Colorado. Although not as skilled, Walker is a much better pure defender than Byram, which is what this club needs down the stretch.
On the other hand, Byram will get to join a phenomenal young D-core in Buffalo that already boasts Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power. It might take a few more years, but that will soon be one of the NHL's best blue lines.
And Casey Mittelstadt, who is breaking out in 2023-24 with 14 goals and 47 points in 62 games, should be a nice add down the middle after Nathan MacKinnon. He is a high skill player who will be playing with a ton of other high skill players in Denver, and the 25-year-old Minnesotan probably couldn't have asked for a better place to try and chase a Stanley Cup in 2024.
Although it'll take a few years to see who truly won the deal, it looks as if both the Avalanche and Sabres won in this swap.
Follow Us
Subscribe