The Buffalo Sabres pulled off a major move early Thursday morning with a blockbuster deal that sent winger J.J. Peterka to the Utah Mammoth in exchange for young winger Josh Doan and defenseman Michael Kesserling. And now, Sabres fans are wondering who will be next to be moved.

In this writer's perspective, that question is easy to answer: it's going to be veteran defenseman Bowen Byram, currently an RFA whose inability to sign a contract extension with Buffalo speaks volumes about his likely future (or lack thereof) with the team.

Indeed, in a market that's shallow in terms of young defensemen, Byram will fetch a heck of a return in any trade -- and although we still believe Sabres GM Kevyn Adams should've found a way to retain Byram's services, the fact we're now less than a week away from the kickoff of the free-agency period means it's probably best for the Sabres to part ways with Byram and get as much as they can by trading him.

Of course, the team that acquires Byram may want to keep their trade package relatively lean if they're landing him before signing him to a contract extension. But as we saw with the Peterka extension, it doesn't take all that long for an RFA player to find a financial match with a team if both parties are truly committed to each other.  Buffalo's asking price should be sky-high, and if a team can't match it, it's simple -- the Sabres don't trade Byram to that team.

With that said, then, the countdown for trading Byram has officially begun. Once Florida Panthers blueliner Aaron Ekblad comes off the UFA market on July 1 -- and if the Calgary Flames trade veteran Rasmus Andersson shortly thereafter -- Byram will be far and away the most attractive option available to teams seeking to improve their defense corps.

Sabres Blockbuster Trade With Utah Sends Disgruntled Winger To Mammoth For Defensive Depth, Son Of NHL Icon After watching teams around them make major moves already in the NHL's 2025 off-season, the Buffalo Sabres made a blockbuster deal of their own late Wednesday night, sending disgruntled winger J.J. Peterka to the Utah Mammoth in exchange for young winger Josh Doan and defenseman Michael Kesserling. And immediately after Peterka was acquired by Utah, he signed <a href="https://puckpedia.com/player/john-jason-peterka">a five-year contract extensipn with an average annual payday of $7.7 million</a>. That's something Peterka wouldn't do with the Sabres, and that's an unfortunate comment on where Buffalo is at as an organization right now.

And at that point, if Adams can't swing a trade that brings in a significant package in return for Byram, Adams should be tendering his resignation. There's no good reason for the Sabres to accept anything less than a high-end veteran player in return for Byram, and they should also be swinging for the fences by expanding the trade so that Buffalo gets multiple components in any Byram deal.

Now, that doesn't mean the Sabres should be pushing for draft picks and prospects in a Byram trade. At this stage, Buffalo shouldn't be kicking the compeititve can down the road and focusing on the future. It's really all about the here and now for the Sabres, and if teams aren't going to offer Adams experienced hands that can get Buffalo into the playoffs this coming season, the Sabres shouldn't be trading Byram to that team.

To be sure, Buffalo has to be operating from a point of leverage in any Byram swap. It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if the Sabres looked at trade offers and decided to keep Byram around. But at this stage, it makes more sense to move on from Byram as an asset and strike while the iron's hot on the trade front.

Sabres Potential Trade Partner: Los Angeles Kings THN's <a href="http://thn.com/buffalo">Sabres site</a> is continuing a new series in which we examine potential trade partners for Buffalo. We've kicked off the series by looking at teams including the the&nbsp;<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres/latest-news/sabres-potential-trade-partner-utah-mammoth">Utah Mammoth</a>, <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres/latest-news/sabres-potential-trade-partner-colorado-avalanche">Colorado Avalanche</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres/latest-news/sabres-potential-trade-partner-vancouver-canucks">Vancouver Canucks</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://thn.com/philadelphia">Philadelphia Flyers</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres/latest-news/sabres-potential-trade-partner-new-york-rangers">New York Rangers</a>.and&nbsp;<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres/latest-news/sabres-potential-trade-partner-new-jersey-devils">New Jersey Devils</a>.

The days of the Sabres sitting back and making excuses about why they can't improve have come to an end. Adams has to be proactive in any trade, and he has to be aggressive on that front until such time as he lands NHLers that can come in next season and be difference-makers for the team.

Without question, Byram has been a good player for Buffalo in his one-and-a-half years with the organization. But given where the Sabres are in their competitive trajectory, it's probably best for the team and Byram to part ways. And if they can't find a solid match that helps set up Buffalo for success in the 2025-26 campaign, the issues among Sabres ownership and management may run even deeper than many Buffalo fans fear.