Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic recently dropped a bombshell regarding what the Buffalo Sabres should do with 25-year-old star defenseman Bowen Byram. Behind the scenes, the Sabres are reportedly receiving inquiries from multiple teams into Byram’s availability.
The clock is ticking for Buffalo’s front office. Byram is exactly one year away from unrestricted free-agent eligibility. He carries a highly manageable cap hit of $6.25 million for the upcoming 2026-27 season and, crucially for any potential deal, lacks any no-trade protection.
Why move a piece like this? It comes down to the brutal realities of the salary cap. AFP Analytics currently projects Byram could receive an AAV of $9.5 million on his next contract. However, Fairburn rightly points out that this number will likely climb even higher after the Toronto Maple Leafs recently signed Darren Raddysh to a massive long-term deal worth an $8.5 million AAV. With Rasmus Dahlin firmly occupying the 1LD spot and a massive chunk of the payroll, paying Byram elite, number-one defenseman money simply isn’t feasible for Buffalo.
What Teams Would Be a Great Fit for Bowen Byram?
If the Sabres are going to move him, the asking price will be astronomical. Here is an overview of the three teams actively monitoring the situation:
Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers’ interest in Byram isn’t a sudden development. General Manager Danny Briere heavily pursued him during the Cutter Gauthier trade discussions with Colorado before Byram ultimately landed in Buffalo. Philadelphia is desperately hunting for a high-end, puck-moving LHD to anchor their top pair, potentially alongside Jamie Drysdale. Operating with over $32 million in projected cap space, the Flyers have the financial runway to easily absorb his current hit and negotiate his massive long-term extension without disrupting their core structure.
San Jose Sharks
San Jose is deep into their asset-accumulation phase, but they need legitimate, established talent to insulate their incoming wave of prospects. They are one of the few teams that can offer Byram exactly what he wants: undisputed 1LD minutes and top power-play deployment. At 25, his prime perfectly aligns with the Macklin Celebrini timeline. The Sharks have a completely clean cap sheet to handle a $10M+ AAV extension, though prying him out of Buffalo might require moving a high-end roster piece like William Eklund to get traction.
Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago is actively looking to raise the floor of their roster and add established talent to support Connor Bedard’s progression. Byram is young enough to grow with their young core while being experienced enough to immediately stabilize their blue line. Like San Jose, the Blackhawks have the draft capital and the vast cap space required to both facilitate a massive trade and pay Byram his target extension.
My Take: If Byram has informed Sabres management that he’s not going to sign an extension, it’s only logical that they would immediately explore the trade market. They can’t afford to lose him for nothing. By dealing him now, they could seek a massive return that explicitly replaces power forward Alex Tuch, who seems headed to free agency on July 1. Buffalo needs top-six offensive reinforcements to stay competitive, and moving Byram from an area of defensive surplus is their best bullet in the chamber to get it done.
Bowen Byram Career NHL Stats
| Type | GP | G | A | P | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Season | 328 | 44 | 108 | 152 | 41 |
| Playoffs | 40 | 4 | 15 | 19 | 16 |
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Byram will be a UFA in 1 year. Anyone who signs him will have to accept that and build that into their offer. Buffalo istrying to unload him because he’s been clear all along thats not where he wants to play. He did bring up playing in BC, for the Canucks a couple of times. Not sure how that would work or even if its a fit now.
Sharks have said they’re willing to trade their First round pick (#2) for a solid D-Man. That team makes sense.