Overall thoughts on the Buffalo Sabres 2024 trade deadline

With the 2024 NHL trade deadline officially over, I thought I would give my overall thoughts on the Buffalo Sabres and the trades general manager Kevyn Adams made. From the players who stayed and the players who departed, there are some things that I want to discuss.

It all started on Wednesday when the Sabres made the most impactful trade when they sent Casey Mittelstadt to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Bowen Byram. With all the speculation about Casey's future, it came to an end as he became a member of the Avalanche.

Byram did pretty well in his first game with the Sabres as he scored one goal and registered an assist in the 4-2 loss to the Nashville Predators. Just from the first two games he's been with Buffalo, the trade has worked out well for the club so far. It's a small sample size but seeing how he plays defense and him jumping up in the rush is a good sight.

Buffalo then traded their former captain Kyle Okposo to the Florida Panthers in exchange for defenseman Calle Sjalin and a conditional 7th-round pick. Sjalin is currently in the AHL with no goals and three assists in 22 games played. For Okposo, I hope he helps the Panthers win the Stanley Cup. He deserves it and he was a great captain for Buffalo.

After trading Okposo, Buffalo traded his good friend Erik Johnson to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for a 4th-round pick. I won't say too much about this deal other than the fact that Adams got a 4th rounder for Johnson is pretty amazing.

Their final trade was a minor one as they sent goaltender Devin Cooley to the San Jose Sharks for a 7th-round pick. When it comes to the deadline as a whole, I'm not surprised. While I wish Mittelstadt, Okposo and Johnson nothing but the best, Byram seems to be doing pretty well and he is an upgrade for what Buffalo needs to improve in, defense.

As for the players who were not dealt, Adams received calls for Alex Tuch but he was not willing to part ways with Alex, thank goodness. Zemgus Girgensons also received interest but it seems like he wants to stay in Buffalo and the organization loves Zemgus.

All and all, I'm not surprised with how the deadline played out. Players like Okposo and Johnson were expected to be traded. While Mittelstadt being dealt was unexpected in some ways, Byram is doing good with Rasmus Dahlin.