[Discussion] would you want Power or Byram?

19 comments

1. If the coaching staff thinks power is worth it then rust or raks plus some pick to get him. We don’t have much LD in the system and power can run pp

2. Powers

3. Owen Power without a doubt. Rust would definitely be an improvement for their offense

4. I just don’t think the pens have the assets/will to get a guy like Power or Byram with the current state of the team. They won’t want to give up picks and rust and/or Rakell probably aren’t the guys the sabres are looking for in return for one of those guys

5. could be crazy to have Power, good 2 way d who has to live in the umbrella of sadness known as Buffalo

6. Power hands down would be an improvement over all our defense.  

   Id be willing to give em a lot.

   Wish we had been in on the Hughes action though if we were gonna go for a transcendent d man.

7. Sounds expensive

8. Either would be interesting to me. I’d need to know the ask, though.

9. Power

10. I mean yea but realistically I don’t think it’s smart for the Pens to make that trade and I definitely don’t think they could match the Sabres price at least not without tanking the future even more.

    For either you’re probably looking at a package like Brunicke, Broz, a 1st and maybe a late round pick like 5 or 6.

11. Power out of the two but in reality neither one with the price it’d cost.

12. I would like either of them. They’re both young enough and the left side of our d is miserably bad.

13. Power and it isn’t even close. With him you see he hasn’t lived up to the billing, but Byram is an enigma and the Pens have too many of those on D already

14. Of the two, I would personally prefer Power. Kid is 6’6, has two 30+ point seasons already, and is only 23, with seriously high upside. Some risk involved since there is still a lot of that untapped potential with Power, but it is the kind of player I wouldn’t be against taking a swing for.

    Bigger issue is I don’t know if the Penguins have a package the Sabres would take, and there are definitely teams out there that can outbid them if they wanted to. The Sabres have been on a heater recently, and are absolutely desperate to get back into the playoffs and relevance. Do they value a player like Rust who has proven playoff experience, and helps them more where they are weaker (their top scoring RW is Tuch with 30 points, same as Rust, and getting a player like Rust would give them flexibility with younger players like Doan and Quinn) than defense, where they are overloaded with left handed options? I think it would take *at least* a package of Rust, solid prospect, and perhaps a 2nd rounder to get Power. Easily not out of the realm of possibility that it takes a 1st, but with where this team is, if Buffalo is dead set on getting a 1st back in the package, we have to be out of the running.

    And all of that ignores that if you move Rust elsewhere, the return could be very strong. Near PPG, 25+ goal scoring wingers don’t grow on trees. And as mentioned, Rust has that veteran leadership and proven playoff scoring touch to boot. If he can possibly return a 1st rounder plus prospect in a trade, are we ok with losing that possible return in futures for a player like Power? Lots of questions for sure, but if I’m Dubas, I’m at least in talks with Buffalo to know what it is they are looking for, and trying to see what might work.

15. Getting Owen Power would be a massive boost.  This team desperately needs a defensive rebuild and that’s a big start.  

16. If you can get Power, you do it.

    Problem is I can’t really figure out what Buffalo wants. Are they building the future or pushing for the playoffs?

17. Sabres fans hate Power. The scouting report on him is that he’s a turnover machine and does not hit anyone.

18. Avs fan here. The big knock on Bo Byram was his ability to stay healthy. Had some concussion issues. But during the 2022 Cup run he was fantastic. Especially when Girard went down for the playoffs. Bednar trusted Bo with big minutes and he delivered.

    I don’t know what it’s been like for him in Buffalo, but I know they’re a mess. But if 2022 playoff Byram is still in him, he’d be a major asset. He’s still young and significantly contributed to a Cup winner. We were bummed when he got traded, but the Avs badly needed a 2C solution at the time.

    As a Pens fan, I wouldn’t be upset to see them acquire him, assuming the cost is favorable. The Sabres have someone resembling competent in the GM chair now, so I dunno. I wouldn’t sell the farm, but for the right price, yeah, for sure.

19. The problem is the cost- looking at what Buffalo gave up for Byram, it was Casey Middlestadt (who at the time and 47 points in 62 games). he has since crept down to roughly half a point per game but at the time he was a perennial 60pt guy.

    Middlestadt was later sent to Boston for Charlie Coyle and a 5th, so the low end of Byrams value is a middle 6 forward and a 5th. More realistic its going to be some combo of Rusty/Manthony/Raks and a 3rd *minimum* imo

    On the other end you have Power, who hovers around half a point per game with an *8.5M cap hit*. same exact play style and such as Byram

    of the two id rather have Byram but at that point we should have extended Gryz