Report: Sabres Could Make Big Move with Bowen Byram

His name has been on the rumor mill all season long, as teams all over the NHL try to poach some talent from the struggling Buffalo Sabres in their attempt to shake things up. Defenseman Bowen Byram is one of the names that teams have been asking about, and the Sabres have apparently been listening on.

But according to Buffalo insider Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News, if they don't get an offer that they like by the deadline, not only will they not trade the burgeoning D-man, they would look to make a big move to re-sign him to a massive extension.

Harrington projects that Byram's number could reach and even surpass the $9 million AAV mark. The 23-year-old is certainly having a very solid season in his first full year with the Sabres after they acquired him at the 2024 deadline from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Casey Mittelstadt.

Byram has a career-high 22 assists, and has tied his career-best in points already, at 29, through 54 games. He is also sitting on a personal best plus/minus rating of +9, while logging the most ice time he's ever had, at 23:09 per night.

Why in god's good green earth would the Sabres be looking to move on from Bowen Byram? He's 23 and, like, really good.
— Ben from the Circling The Cup #sjsharks Podcast (@circlingthecup) February 14, 2025

WHAT A GOAL BOWEN BYRAM

INCREDIBLE PASS FROM ZUCKER

WE ARE ALIVE pic.twitter.com/djSq3L1ZQw
— Crossing Swords ⚔️ (@CrossSwordsPod) February 9, 2025

Along with Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power, the Sabres have a formidable top-three on the blueline. But a $9M price tag for Byram would bring the cost for those three to about $28.5M. Dahlin is in the first season of an 8-year deal with an $11M cap hit, and Power is in the first of his 7-year contract at $8.35M AAV.

Byram is a pending RFA at the end of the season with arbitration rights. His qualifying offer would be $4.62M.