The Buffalo Sabres once again are facing Bowen Byram trade rumors after Jarmo Kekalainen seemingly wanting to commit to him long-term. Unfortunately, if Frank Servalli's reporting is true the Sabres will never be able to actually offer Byram which he wants.
One of the strengths of the Buffalo Sabres last season was their Top 4, and it is tough to find a team that has a better collection of talent than Rasmus Dahlin, Mattias Samuelsson, Owen Power, and Bowen Byram. This was something the Sabres seemingly were going to be able to lean on as Dahlin, Samuelsson, and Power are signed long-term, while Byram is entering the final year of his two-year deal.
Shortly after the season ended, Jarmo Kekalainen met with the media and made it clear that Byram and Zach Benson were two of his top priorities to sign long-term. However, one day after the Sabres traded Michael Kesselring, rumors started to fly that teams were calling the Sabres about Bowen Byram.
This doesn't necessarily mean that the Sabres are trying to trade him, but something has gone around the league that other teams think that Byram might be available. On Thursday, Frank Seravalli might have shed some light on why teams are calling the Sabres, as he believes Byram wants a chance to be a number one defenseman for a team.
"This has everything to do with an opportunity and a continual challenge, as I understand it, that exists within Bowen Byram," Frank Seravalli said. "He sees himself as a number one defenseman in the NHL, and watching him in these playoffs, it's hard to argue that's not the case."
Seravalli mentioned that when he was in Colorado, it was Cale Makar who was in the way of him reaching that level. Meanwhile, it is obvious that in Buffalo that title belongs to Dahlin and it won't change anytime soon.
The belief that he is a number-one defenseman certainly also comes along with the belief that he should be paid like one. According to David Pagnotta with The Fourth Period, Byram is expecting his next contract to be "north of $10 million per year."
For the Sabres, with so much already committed to the other three defenseman, it might be tough to get above that point. That certainly also has to factor into Jarmo Kekalainen's calculations, and probably why he is at least listening to teams calling.
Buffalo Sabres could change their offseason plans completely with a Bowen Byram trade
It will be interesting to see how the Sabres move forward with this recent development. They certainly don't need to trade Bowen Byram right now, as he is under contract for one more season. The Sabres could go the Alex Tuch route and treat him like a trade deadline "rental player" like they did this past season.
They could also be patient, knowing they won't be able to re-sign him, and trade him at the trade deadline next season. It could give them a large chunk of the season with an elite group of Top 4 and let the trade offers come to them to pick the best one.
Whether they trade him now, or in season, or let him play out his contract, they are going to have a massive hole in their Top 4 that they will need to address.
The question for the Sabres' general manager now becomes, does he try to trade Bowen Byram, and use that cap space of around $6.25 million to bring back Alex Tuch? They could then shift their focus to adding a Top 4 defenseman to replace Byram and not have to worry as much about the forwards.
It was expected to be an interesting offseason for the Buffalo Sabres with the potential departure of Alex Tuch and how they might replace him. The recent rumors have only complicated what will be a busy few weeks for Jarmo Kekalainen in his first offseason as general manager with the Sabres.
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