Bowen Byram’s Next Move: Sabres May Have to Trade Him Before He Walks for Nothing

The Buffalo Sabres just shipped out defenseman Michael Kesselring to San Jose on Wednesday, but the real story brewing in Western New York might involve a bigger name. Multiple teams are calling about Bowen Byram, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger, and the speculation is getting loud enough that you can’t ignore it.

Dreger put it pretty bluntly on social media: a bunch of clubs are exploring a trade for Byram, and the math is ugly from Buffalo’s side. Byram has one year left on his contract, then he becomes an unrestricted free agent. His agent, Darren Ferris, has a track record of taking players to the open market. That’s a problem.

The Sabres and Byram already went through a long contract standoff before the 2025-26 season. He was a restricted free agent, and the two-year deal he eventually signed was basically the shortest possible path to UFA status. So even with a new general manager in place, the relationship feels fragile.

The on-ice fit isn’t the issue

Byram came over from Colorado during the 2023-24 season, and his numbers in Buffalo have been solid. In 182 games with the Sabres, he’s put up 89 points and added seven more in 13 playoff games this spring. That’s legit production from a defenseman who’s still only 24 years old.

But the contract side keeps getting in the way. The Sabres and Byram keep bumping heads, and at some point you have to ask yourself whether a trade is the only realistic outcome. If Buffalo waits too long, they risk watching him walk for nothing next summer.

What a trade might look like

If the Sabres do move him, the smart money says it happens after July 1. That timing allows Byram’s new team to immediately sign him to an extension, which increases his trade value. A sign-and-trade scenario is even possible, giving Byram long-term security and the Sabres a real return.

Buffalo should be looking for an NHL-caliber forward in any Byram deal. They already traded up in the draft to move Kesselring, but Byram is a different tier of asset. You’re talking about a potential Alex Tuch replacement here. Names like Shane Wright in Seattle or Mason McTavish in Anaheim make some sense as targets, though neither is a sure thing to be available.

The Sabres needed more scoring to get past Montreal in the playoffs, and losing Kesselring and Byram would create a hole on the blue line too. They might need to bring in a defenseman as part of any deal. But the priority should be getting a forward who can put the puck in the net.

Buffalo’s front office has some decisions to make, and the phone isn’t going to stop ringing until they do.