Byfuglien Questions

[metaldude26]

Would you trade a Drew Doughty or Mike Green straight up for Byfuglien in a dynasty league? What about Duncan Keith?

I know conventional wisdom says the Byfuglien owner would be doing great to sell him high and land one of those guys but I wonder if it isn't time to wake up and smell the roses. I want to know what you think because I can't for the life of me make up my mind about it.

[SK47]

I'm not on the Buff bandwagon just yet. I think it would take 60 point production until about halfway through next year for him to prove to me he is for real. How many times have guys came out like gangbusters only to fizzle and trail off??

If you own Buff, and someone has come to you with green,keith,or doughty I think you have to take that in a second. Imagine getting a trade offer like that for buff in the offseason ( Ya Right )

On the other hand if you are trying to acquire him I think a player from the "2nd tier" of defenseman is as high as I would go. That way if Buff tanks or ever gets moved back to the wing you don't lose that much.

Just my thoughts.

SK

[ericdaoust]

One thing I've noticed about the Thrashers is that several players are having by far their best season yet. It's sort of a team-wide perfect storm. We saw in Montreal and Boston that reality can be a bitch when everyone comes back down to earth the next season.

Regarding Buffy, I'm skeptical about him maintaining this ridiculous pace over the course of multiple seasons. He'll probably clear 70 this season but beyond that is anyone's guess. So with that in mind here's how I rank them long-term:

Green
Doughty
Byfuglien
Keith

[dyzfunctioned]

I wish I knew man, I'm having the same issues...

I've got a draft coming up in a few months and I'm wondering if he should be drafted ahead of some of those guys and I just have no idea.

I don't think I could bring myself to take him over Green or Doughty though. Keith... probably.

[AtlantaSportsFan]

Take Buff. The system is built for him. Even if he doesn't score from blasts from the point, he can score by doing what Green does and join the rush. Plus Buff is a lot more quicker than the others and IMO a better stick handler. I thought skaters that are 6'4 and 250lbs were all slow and couldn't control the puck until I saw Buff.

[Big Ev]

No way, IMO. Byfugilen has to look good for more than 1 season before I would take true elite offensive talents like Doughty or Green over him.

Plus Byfuglien is a guy who often doesn't stay in shape over the summer, so he could come back as a completely different player next year.

Don't buy the Buff just yet!

[metaldude26]

Take Buff. The system is built for him. Even if he doesn't score from blasts from the point, he can score by doing what Green does and join the rush. Plus Buff is a lot more quicker than the others and IMO a better stick handler. I thought skaters that are 6'4 and 250lbs were all slow and couldn't control the puck until I saw Buff.

See I agree with a lot of what you are saying but I obviously have to take it with a grain of salt since your an Atlanta fan.

I really think that he's in a better position to score than Green at this point because the new Washington strategy is obviously holding him back. Still I can't shake conventional wisdom. I've no doubt that Byfuglien will outscore Green total on the year but I can easily see Byfuglien slowing down a bit and Green picking up a lot enough that maybe Green outscores Byfuglien 40-30 in the second half.

With Doughty, he's such a good player that I can't ever see him having a down year. I don't feel the same about Green/Byfuglien.

But your argument is the exact reason I am having this issue.

[Big Ev]

See, I'm not buying this whole "Washington defensive strategy" thing. I think it's just a convenient excuse for their slumping stars. Even if they put in a defensive sytstem, they should still be able to score goals because of the quality of players they have. Some teams play good shut-down D and score a lot of goals (Pittsburgh, Chicago last year, etc.)

That's why I think Green will come out of it eventually.

[dyzfunctioned]

I think you have to at LEAST pencil in Buff as a 50+ point d-man over the next few years. That makes him an auto top 5 and given he'll easily hit 65+ this season I think you hands down have to take him over anyone but Doughty, Keith, and Green. And given Keith was due for a regression and the fact he's baring all the load in CHI, I'm personally pencilling him in ahead of Keith. I've decided. haha.

1) Green, 2) Doughty, 3) Byfuglien

[Dean Youngblood]

My apologies because I haven't read all of the posts above but I would not trade Green or Doughty for Byfuglien

I would consider trading Keith (i felt last year was an overchieving year) but it's still close with Keith and Byfuglien

I would rank them

1. Green
2. Doughty
3. Keith (by a hair)
4. Buff

[garethbush]

My apologies because I haven't read all of the posts above but I would not trade Green or Doughty for Byfuglien

I would consider trading Keith (i felt last year was an overchieving year) but it's still close with Keith and Byfuglien

I would rank them

1. Green
2. Doughty
3. Keith (by a hair)
4. Buff

I agree with this. Can't believe how well he is doing considering how thin Atlanta is up front. Where was this production when he was playing with Toews and Kane?

[MT319]

Playing D utilizes his strengths...ie; a big shot and willingness to jump in on odd man rushes to finish plays..while putting his poor footspeed and skating ability as less of a hinderance than when he played as a wing...he's also a little more comfortable there as that his natural position...like him over Keith...not Doughty or Green though...think he'll produce right in the goal heavy 55-60 point range perenially

[fungchen3]

What scares me about trading one of the elite for Buff is if Atlanta trades him or he gets moved back to forward in a year or two.

The situation in Atlanta is tailor made for Buff but who knows what the future holds. That said, if I had a legit shot of winning this year I would probably move Keith for him.

But I would not bite on moving the juggernauts like Doughty and Green, at least not yet. If Buff breaks 70 and does it again next year I would deal Green for him.

As for Doughty, there is no other D guy I would trade him for - not Byfuglien, Green or Keith.

[theIceWookie]

I would do it. I can understand why people are enamored Doughty but I can't understand why he is considered anymore elite than Byfuglien.

Doughty had 59 points last year. Great. He had 27 the year before. Sure it was in his second season but it makes him no more elite than Byfuglien doing it this year.

Sure at this point with the way Doughty is playing, he is the safer bet. But Byfuglien has had a season that ranks as the most consistent play of a defenseman offensive wise since the lockout. Not to mention he is still a plus player and he can get you more PIM's than Doughty will.

Its a move that comes with risk but the reward is astronomical. Do the deal.

[WestCoastSteez]

I would not make any of those moves. 42 games is far too small of a sample size when comparing Buff to those other 3. His value is at an all-time high, and trading for him now would not be prudent. I would let some other GM wildly overpay for him.

-cheers