Newly acquired blueliner registers two points in loss to Nashville
Newly acquired blueliner registers two points in loss to Nashville
Bowen Byram was not feeling well when the trade from the Colorado Avalanche was announced on Wednesday, but was so enthused at the prospect of joining the Buffalo Sabres that he wanted to join the club immediately and get into the lineup.
"The thought was because he's battling an illness, send him right to Buffalo. When I got off the phone I texted Kevin (Adams), I said 'I don't think he's going to Buffalo.'" Sabres head coach Don Granato said on Wednesday. "About half an hour later, he called Kevin back and said 'I want to go to Nashville.'"
The 22-year-old had an auspicious debut for the Sabres in Nashville on Thursday, scoring his first goal in Blue and Gold and adding an assist in a 4-2 loss to the Predators. Byram played just under 25 minutes mostly on the top pairing with Rasmus Dahlin, and scored his ninth of the season in the first period and set up Owen Power for a goal in the third.
"(Byram) is dynamic and in the peer group with Dahlin. (They are) a draft year different has won a Stanley Cup, is the top five pick, to have him in knowing he's gone through incredible experiences already in this league., Keep in mind, they're both around 22 years old,..... it's exciting to see the potential of those two players," Granato said after the game. "You can see those two together are going to be very, very good for us, and it's exciting to know that even though the outcome today was disappointing."
Former Sabre Casey Mittelstadt is expected to make his debut with Colorado on Friday in Denver against the Minnesota Wild.
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