One of the lone bright spots in the Buffalo Sabres' Game 2 playoff loss against the Boston Bruins was the play of a defenseman with an uncertain future.
Bowen Byram scored a goal in the third period, the first Sabre to find the back of the net in the 4-2 defeat. It at least gave the Sabres some respectability in an otherwise dismal night.
The goal, in general the play by the veteran defenseman, may be important as the offseason is coming quick regardless of how far the Sabres go in the playoffs.
Sabres' Bowen Byram is slated to become an unrestricted free agent after next season
How Byram performs in the postseason could determine if the Sabres decide to extend him early this summer, consider their trade options or let next season play out before making a final call. Despite the goal, he's had limited amount of impact on the defensive end in the series.
He's only registered two hits and one block in the first two games. That is low compared to other defenseman on the ice. Byram needs to find a way to stand out for the remainder of the series and in the rest of the playoffs.
Rasmus Dahlin is the proven leader and captain of the team. Mattias Samuelsson has emerged and had a breakout campaign. Based off their contracts and performance neither seem to be going anywhere.
Byram has to find a way to help overcome the defensive issues that emerged in the first two games. If he can prove himself in that area, it could give him leverage for the Sabres to look at his contract and possibly want him to be a part of the roster moving forward.
If he can find a way to break through, he will need to show he's far more valuable than say a Zach Metsa or Conor Timmins, both of whom are also pending free agents in 2027.
Owen Power is signed through 2030-31 and the only way Byram can edge him out is to prove enough worth to make the front office consider trading Power instead. It's hard to imagine Dahlin, Power, Samuelsson and Byram are all going to remain in the organization on long-term, high-value contracts, especially with top prospect Radim Mrtka moving closer to the NHL. Decisions are looming.
With the series currently tied and after the 4-2 loss, it will be important for the Sabres to step up and take on the Bruins more aggressively. But they have to begin to look at what the future holds. There are many prospects beyond Mrtka who can team up with the team's current stars in the years ahead.
If Byram wants to be a part of that, he will need to prove himself throughout the rest of the postseason run.
Add us as a preferred source on Google