There had been some speculation after the end of their season that the Buffalo Sabres may be considering a major move involving restricted free agent defenseman Bowen Byram, and that gained some significant momentum on Wednesday, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on his 32 Thoughts podcast that the Sabres are gauging trade interest in the 23-year-old blueliner. Byram was acquired in March 2024 in exchange for center Casey Mittelstadt and scored a career-high 38 points last season. That was an impressive feat since the Cup winner was seldom used on the power play and registered all but three of those points at even strength. Friedman indicated that Byram’s name has been circulating, even though the Sabres have control over him for two more years before qualifying for unrestricted free agency. Byram is likely looking for an opportunity to be a #1 defenseman, which he had little opportunity to be in Colorado with Cale Makar and Devon Toews on the top pairing, and that is a similar circumstance in Buffalo with a crowded left side with team captain Rasmus Dahlin and 2021 top overall pick Owen Power signed to long-term deals. Other Sabres Stories Is Peterka In Prime Position For Big Payday? [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres/latest-news/is-peterka-in-prime-position-for-big-payday] Sabres Summer Dilemmas - Bowen Byram [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres/latest-news/sabres-summer-dilemmas-bowen-byram] Sabres Facing An Off-Season Of Change [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/buffalo-sabres/latest-news/sabres-facing-an-off-season-of-change] Byram was connected to his hometown Vancouver Canucks in rumors during the season, but that was linked to the possibility of a Elias Pettersson trade and that does not seem realistic after the Canucks sent JT Miller to the NY Rangers. It is likely that the Sabres would be looking for a defenseman-for-defenseman swap, since the club is extremely weak on the right-side of the blueline. LA Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke is someone who was rumored to be possibly on the block before the deadline and could be an attractive target for the Sabres since he is still on his entry-level contract, but a deal for an impact forward cannot be ruled out, since Buffalo is looking to upgrade and augment their roster after missing the playoffs for a 14th straight season. Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo [https://twitter.com/MikeInBuffalo]
