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?

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Player Stats: G, A, +/-, GWG, PPP, PIM, SHP, SOG
Goalie Stats: W, GAA, SAVE%, SO, Saves
C: Malkin (W), Giroux (W), Datsyuk (W), Skinner (W), McDonald (W), Schwartz, Killorn, Nyquist
W: Perry, St Louis, Kessel, Nash, Hartnell, Burrows, Clowe, Alfredsson, Doan, Coyle (C)
D: Yandle, Shattenkirk, Doughty, Phaneuf, Voynov, Kulikov, Wisniewski
G: Price, Ward, Holtby, Neuvrith, Mason

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

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.

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6-GM, Wk-H2H, Keep 40
START = 13F, 6D, 2G
F Pts = G (2), A (1), PP/SH (+1), GW (+2)
D Pts = G (3), A (2), PP/SH (+1), GW (+2)
G Pts = W (3), OTL (1), SO (+2), SV (.10)

F: Backstrom, Kopitar, Perry, P.Kane, Spezza, E.Staal, Nash, Vanek, Couture, B.Ryan, Eberle, J.Staal, D.Brown, Lucic, N.Horton, Backes, Tarasenko, van Riemsdyk, T.Ennis, B.Gallagher, Armia, Teravainen
D: Karlsson, P.Subban, Pietrangelo, Shattenkirk, Doughty, Yandle, Chara, Kronwall, J.Johnson, Myers, J.Faulk, E.Johnson, A.Larsson, J.Morrow, S.Elliott, M.Rielly, Ceci
G: Price, Rask, M.Smith, Hiller

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.

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

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Champ!

Byfuglien has 41 points in 43 GP... Even if he halfs his scoring pace for the second half he'll finish with 60 points which will probably put him top 2 in the league for d-man scoring this year. And that's if his scoring pace cuts in half.

I'm the LAST guy to pick up a guy who's on a hot streak - I didn't grab Shattenkirk or a bunch of other guys who supposedly "broke out." But 41 points in 43 GP is nothing to ignore in a d-man, especially when he doesn't seem to be slowing down. Not to mention his peripherals are phenomenal.

[QUOTE=fungchen3;629193]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. QUOTE]

As Fungchen said my biggest fear is that he is moved back to forward, if that happens you just gave up an elite D for an average forward.

I wouldn't trade any of those guys for Buff (fortunately I own him, Green & Keith, owned Doughty to, but traded him to get Malkin). If you're in a one year league go ahead but this is the keeper section so NO WAY.

I don't feel the risk of owning Buff is worth the difference in stats between the 3 people mentioned.

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7 Team Keeper Roto - G, A, Pts, PIM, +/-, Shots, GAA, S%, Minute
Top: 13 F's, 8 Def, 4 Goalies (30 Player Roster)

Forwards: Malkin, Stamkos, Kane, M. Richards, M. Koivu, Statsny, Frolik, Lucic, Voracek, Selanee, Gionta, Plekanec, Downie, Ennis
Defense: Green, Bieksa, Keith, Pitkanen, Visnovsky, Byfuglien, McBain, Hedman, Seabrook
Goalies: Vokoun, Price, Hiller, Rask, Varly

Pts Only 1y - 10 Teams
F\D: Malkin, Kopitar, E. Staal, Roy, Neal, Stewart, Plekanec, Letang, Patches, Eberle, Flash, E. Kane, Karlsson, Voracek, M. Richards
G: Halak, Bryz

I don't see how people can say that Byfuglien's production has been over too small of a sample when 27 year old Keith has one season over 45 points under his belt and two seasons over 32 points. Seems to me that people are failing to apply the same criticisms to Keith that they are to Byfuglien. I like Byfuglien more than Keith because my numbers state that Keith's numbers were based quite a bit on an increase in luck last year, not an increase in skill, so a regression was anticipated. In short, he's not a 60 point D man, but he should hit 50 for a few years, and as a Byfuglien owner, I wouldn't trade him straight up for Keith.

What about Doughty? A 21 year old with a 59 point season under his belt and the PP QB on an up and coming team is tough to pass up. I'd say that he's a notch above Byfuglien.

Green it tougher. He's really trying to modify his game to be more responsible, Carlson looks like he will cut into his value in future years, he's having troubles with nagging injuries and he's in a bit of a slump. That said, by 25, he has 2 70+ point seasons under his belt and one 56 point season. Since he's the same age as Byfuglien and has a much better track record and he's on the highest scoring team in the league, I think Green is a notch above Byfuglien.

Mabus

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9 Team Points Only Keeper (Protect 10). Roster of 9F, 4D, 1Util, 2G, 6 Bench
F - Malkin, Kane, Gaborik, Kopitar, Perry, Hossa, Zetterberg, M. Koivu, Hemsky, Cammalleri, Filppula, Ennis, Fleischmann,
D - Phaneuf, Goligoski, Byfuglien, Robidas, Shattenkirk, Hedman
G - Miller, Halak, Pavelec

Some very solid posts here. Thanks for the debate guys, not sure we settled anything but my confusion feels warranted now. Conensus also seems to be that Byfuglien isn't quite on the Doughty/Green level.

I guess the question now becomes, if you were to deal a Doughty/Green for Byfuglien how much more would you ask for?

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I think what's not being taken into account is Bogosian...guy has the skill set to be a 50+ point option himself and is strong defensively on top of it....when he emerges and with Enstrom still in the picture that may eat into a bit of Buff's current value as he will not be utilized to the same extent even and may get moved down low on the PP which under utilizes his cannon from up top which is what's generated a solid chunk of his production...I see him as a consistent 50-60 range guy...goal heavy for a d-man...65-75 Green range long term is over-infalting him in my eyes unless Bogosian or Enstrom get moved out of ATL