As Colorado Avalanche players filed into Ball Arena for a game Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings, there were several warm embraces and heartfelt goodbyes that are a staple of life in the NHL just before the trade deadline.
Bo Byram had just arrived to pick up his gear, a few hours after being traded to the Buffalo Sabres for Casey Mittelstadt. It is a fascinating transaction. A pair of recent top-10 selections in the NHL draft who have had ups and downs with their former team will now get an opportunity to flourish in a new environment.
“It’s obviously a shock, but I’m excited for a new challenge and a new start somewhere,” Byram told The Denver Post. “I’ve got lots of close friends on the team in Buffalo, so that should be fun.”
Byram was the No. 4 pick in the 2019 NHL draft — a gift from the Matt Duchene trade two years prior. His time with the Avalanche was sidetracked by injuries at different points, but he became a key figure during the club’s 2022 Stanley Cup run.
Trading Byram was the second of two moves the Avs made Wednesday morning. The other transaction included his replacement, Sean Walker from the Flyers, in a deal for a 2025 first-round pick and Ryan Johansen.
“It was hard to move Bo,” Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland said. “He’s an amazing human being and a great hockey player. That’s one of the toughest things we’ve ever had to do. But definitely getting a really good defenseman in return was certainly part of the equation.”
This season began with some struggles, particularly with staying out of the penalty box. Byram’s game has steadied in recent weeks. His name has been out there in speculative trade rumors, in part because the Avs were unlikely to be able to retain both him and Samuel Girard beyond next season when Byram will be due a raise, and in part because he was the best young player on the team.
“It happens every year,” Byram said this past weekend of the speculation. “If something’s going to happen, it’s going to happen. We can’t dwell on it.”
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