NHL Trade Grades: Sabres trade top scorer to Avalanche in blockbuster

Action has really picked up around the NHL with the trade deadline rapidly approaching. We've already seen players like Vladimir Tarasenko, Adam Henrique and Sean Walker get traded today, and now we see the biggest blockbuster of them all with the Buffalo Sabres and Colorado Avalanche swapping young players.

The deal came seemingly out of nowhere with Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet breaking the news. A one-for-one swap was completed, sending forward Casey Mittelstadt to the Avalanche in exchange for defenseman Bowen Byram.

NHL Trade Grades: Avalanche fill major need by acquiring Casey Mittelstadt from Sabres

The Avalanche are once again among the NHL's elite teams, going 38-20-5 entering play on Wednesday, good for 81 points on the season. While they sit in third place in the Central Division, the Avalanche are only four points back of first-place Dallas with one game in hand.

The Avalanche obviously have a loaded roster with much of their Stanley Cup-winning team from the 2022 campaign still intact, but a big issue they've had all season long was getting production from the center position on their second line. Nathan MacKinnon obviously centers their top line, but whether it was Ross Colton or Ryan Johansen, the Avs just weren't getting as much from their second line. Mittelstadt should change that.

The 25-year-old is in the midst of a career year, putting up 14 goals (one shy of his career-high) and 33 assists in 62 games this season, leading Buffalo with 47 points. Mittelstadt should immediately become Colorado's number-two center as they make a push for another Stanley Cup win, moving Ross Colton to a third-line role full-time which is better suited for his game.

This trade made a lot of sense for the Avalanche to make, even if it meant parting with talented defenseman Bowen Byram. While he's shown why he was selected fourth overall in the 2019 NHL Draft in spurts, he's missed substantial time due to injuries and despite staying healthy this season, has just 20 points in 55 games.

A big reason Buffalo likely did this trade is they did not want to pay Mittelstadt, a restricted free agent at season's end, and they also happen to have a promising young forward core. Another motivator could also be the Sabres adding Byram to a defense core already consisting of a pair of No. 1 overall picks in Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power.

As of right now, the deal favors Colorado a bit more because of how big of a need he fills on that team and because Byram hasn't exactly broken out yet. Byram has more potential than Mittelstadt, but eventually, he has to break out for the Sabres to win this trade.

The Sabres can afford to wait on a breakout given the fact that they're not going to be a playoff team this season, while Colorado is doing whatever they can to win a Stanley Cup. Mittelstadt gets them closer to their ultimate goal, while Byram is a good piece for Buffalo to have for the future. Good trade for both sides, but it favors the Avs a bit more.

Colorado Avalanche Grade: A
Buffalo Sabres Grade: B+