Colorado says yes. Buffalo definitely declines. I'm curious how Calgary feels. Andersson is their best defenseman, but 2 1sts, a 2nd, and a D prospect (with a bunch of throw ins) might be tempting

Buffalo already has Dahlin and Powers on the right side of their defense. No need to add Andersson, even though he's a hell of a player

Would allow Dahlin and Power to both play their proper side though.

I guess Buffalo fans can let me know if I'm wrong.

Definitely. The Sabres are fine with just playing defensemen regardless of which way they shoot, unfortunately it's becoming more apparent that they don't deserve the benefit of the doubt with these decisions. It's a huge price, ultimately I think Buffalo would consider it and decline because andersson only has 2 full seasons (after this) before ufa.

The Sabres would ABSOLUTELY prefer to play (at least) Powr on the left, & would do so with Dahlin as well *IF* they could find quality RH partners for them

Would we pay this price for a guy like Andersson?
Well…. I guess that’s the question

Idk, i don’t think it’s a bad deal for us
We also get back Tatar & a 2nd

I think the real issue is whether or not we think we need a “star” RD or just a “solid” RD to play with Power
So far, Jokiharju has been ok this year, if not good
If Samuelsson can get back to playing how he did with Dahlin last year, then we could be in decent shape
Obviously that’s all a bit uncertain, as is our goaltending
Even though UPL has played well, it’s still questionable (at best) whether or not he’s the type of starter

So do we spend the assets on a RD like Andersson,
or use these type assets to get a goalie, like Saros ?

Or do we just stay the course & keep developing our young talent ?

I frankly think any of those scenarios are a possibility
And while MANY Sabres fans are desperate for a big move,
idk that Adams is- he probably isn’t
But i guess we’ll see

I'd say the value of the return is fine for Calgary, although they need center's in the pipeline more than RW. Olausson doesn't seem to be a fit. Anderson is a top pairing RD on a very friendly contract for 3 years, so if they were to trade him, I'm sure it would be for a complete rebuild.

I don't hate that return for the Flames. That said, I don't see Andersson being dealt mid-season. Another consideration is that the Flames need someone to play D next year.

Our D pairings for 2024 look like this:
Weegar - Andersson
X - X
Solovyov - Gilbert

If we're headed into a rebuild, I think it would be smart asset management. If we're retooling, then a hypothetical Andersson trade will be used in a trade for a top line forward.

Isn’t Mittelstadt pretty good now? Feels like it would take more to get him from BUF

CMAC hangs up and blocks the number... two 1sts, Behrens(a 1st value), O.O(recent 1st), a 2nd for an overrated Middlestat?
This doesn't seem like a smart move.



He is producing but would not fit the Avs or Beds style of play and not worth the c.t.a. Still a lazy player.

Alright all three fanbases are essentially saying no which tells me the value is basically right lol

Or it’s just THAT bad, lol

Except he’s not “lazy” Lol
If u don’t want him, that’s fine
But there’s no reason to make up garbage that’s not true

He's been worlds better over probably the last calendar year. I don't know where he's at for his last 82 games, but he's probably around 70 points. For me, that's good production, but I still prefer Thompson and cozens as centers over him. Thompson and cozens (as well as mittelstadt) don't excel at the defensive stuff, I would really prefer looking for a two way center, maybe one that can win some draws, to play 3rd line center. Plus mittelstadt is going to be due a new contract and we have several high end forward prospects that all play a similar style, now seems like a good time to swap mittelstadt for something else that we need.

I didn't say no, just that tweaking the prospects might be required.

Casey Mittlestadt isn’t the answer at 2C

Avs say hell no! Let alone on value and pieces given up that's cap hell again and again for the Avs going forward.

I watch more games in person than most do on tv, He quits on plays and coasts off his talent, he isnt strong on the puck and does not play a defensive reliable style or hard enough forcheck to fit into the Avs style and would be a waste of assets and roster space. My like or dislike for Middlestat is purely his on ice effort, dude is a nice guy irl.

While I agree with some of this, i object to saying that he is not strong on pucks- winning board battles and holding onto the puck once he gets it. It's one of the strong parts of his game and a big part of the reason he is pushing to become a point per game player.

I think its selective engagement and Bednar would bench a foo for that. He has improved in a lot of the areas I dislike, I hope he continues to grow and the Sabres get a big ol return for him, just not from the Avs.

Edit: the avs had to deal with a similar style player in Drouin, luckily for Drouin, Mack has his back, lucky for the Avs that Drouin realized this is his last shot at a meaningful role in the nhl and better show out every shift. Kind of like Nuch when he came over. I dont think Middlestat has or is able to have that mentality.

Yeah I get that, I'm still firmly for keeping Thompson and cozens over him, and trading him for pieces that make the Sabres actually better as a team. I think that what will likely happen is our gm will offer him 6x7 or something like that, and he will continue to be a redundant piece on a team that's still quite a ways out. He's got talent, we need different skills and not waste 7 million long term in cap space just because it's the path of least resistance. A team that needs a top 6 center could really be happy with him.