The Buffalo Sabres decision to go to salary arbitration with defenseman Bowen Byram last week  eliminated the possibility of another NHL club going the offer sheet route, but also opened up the possibility that the restricted free agent would walk his way to unrestricted free agency. Well in advance of the hearing, the Sabres announced on Monday night that they had signed the 24-year-old blueliner to a two-year, $12.5 million extension ($6.25 million AAV).

The deal contains a $1 million signing bonus in year one, and does not have any trade protection according to Puckpedia.

Sabres GM Kevyn Adams reportedly was not happy with the offers being made for Byram leading into and following the NHL Draft. The club has clearly let it be known that they are looking for NHL players in exchange for a top-pairing quality blueliner, which is what they received in exchange for winger JJ Peterka last month.

Based on the return that the NY Islanders received for Noah Dobson (a pair of 2025 first-rounders and forward Emil Heineman) from Montreal, it is likely that Buffalo was receiving offers that were more future prospects and draft picks based. Adams said earlier this month that he was keeping the door open to bringing Byram back if he does not get an acceptable offer.    

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"He's a great kid, he loves his teammates, and he loves being a Sabre, but he also understands that he has this window in his career, and what does that look like, and what are (the) opportunities?" Adams said. "I've had a lot of conversations with (agent) Darren Ferris, and I've just been very honest with him. I understand the position he's in, where (Byram) is in his career, and (that) he's two years away from UFA..” 

The deal does not rule out the possibility of a trade, with an interested club preferring to trade for a player under contract rather than facing the accusatory process of an arbitration hearing. If a trade is not imminent, than the next checkpoint would be next season’s trade deadline, where teams would prefer to give up more for a player signed for another year than on an expiring contract. The issue that Adams faces in terms of maximizing the return for Byram if a trade is in the future is that it is unlikely that Ferris will negotiate a long-term extension with any team next summer and instead will opt to take Byram to market as a 26-year-old UFA.   

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