<p>Just minutes after sending Ryan Johansen and a first-round pick to the Philadelphia Flyers in a trade for defenseman Sean Walker, the Colorado Avalanche continued checking boxes off their wish list by acquiring Buffalo Sabres center Casey Mittelstadt in exchange for 22-year-old blueliner Bowen Byram.</p>



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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The deal was one for one.<br><br>To <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sabres?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Sabres</a>: D Bowen Byram<br>To <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoAvsGo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoAvsGo</a>: C Casey Mittelstadt<br><br>First to report: <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinWeekes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KevinWeekes</a></p>— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) <a href="https://twitter.com/frank_seravalli/status/1765453401511391520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2024</a></blockquote><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p>The biggest one-for-one deal of the season so far sees both teams address their biggest need; Johansen, a new Flyer destined for waivers, had badly struggled as Colorado’s No.2 center (13G, 23P), while the Sabres desperately needed another talented defenseman to round out their top-four alongside Rasmus Dahlin, Henri Jokiharju, and Owen Power.</p>



<p>For Colorado, Mittelstadt figures to be an electric addition to the top-six and second-power play, which has frequently featured three defensemen in 2023-24. The 25-year-old is enjoying the best season of his professional career, averaging more than 18 minutes of ice time and pacing for the first 60-point campaign.</p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="164"></div>



<p>Byram (20P, +1 in 55GP) heads the other way to Western New York, where he is a natural fit in a suddenly exciting young defensive corps. He was a likely trade casualty for the Avs from the beginning of the season because of his healthy $3.85 million cap hit and limited opportunities behind fellow puck movers Cale Makar and Sam Girard.</p>



<p>With Byram and Johansen off the books, pending RFA Mittelstadt is a near-lock to sign a hefty extension in Denver, though Walker is just as likely a rental piece as the Avalanche gear up for a postseason run.</p>



<p>Byram, meanwhile, projects to fit into Buffalo’s plans as the missing piece on the final spot in their top-four, which has been filled inadequately this season by the now-injured Mattias Samuelsson and veteran Connor Clifton.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="134"></div>



<p>The one-for-one trade seems a win-win for the time being, but only time will tell who comes out on this swap of former top-10 picks in the years to come.</p>



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<p><em>Follow all the deals leading up to the March 8 deadline with <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/trade-tracker">Daily Faceoff’s 2024 NHL Trade Tracker</a>.</em></p>
