The Buffalo Sabres are going through another period of turmoil, a common occurrence during the franchise's 14-year playoff drought, and if it extends much further the team will likely serve as a seller ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline in March.
Buffalo's roster features no shortage of trade candidates, led by winger Alex Tuch, but it sounds like there's concern one key member of the squad may not generate much interest on the market: defenseman Bowen Byram.
ESPN's Greg Wyshynski listed Byram on his latest NHL trade tiers big board on Thursday, but noted it's not a sure thing the blueliner is ultimately moved.
"Byram, meanwhile, signed a two-year deal with the Sabres in July ($6.25 million AAV) but that didn't quiet speculation he could be traded," Wyshynski wrote. "The bumpy start to his season, with 13 points in 30 games and a minus-11, might not have suitors lining up."
The 24-year-old Canadian defender, who was acquired in a March 2024 trade with the Colorado Avalanche, has struggled to find a rhythm on a Buffalo squad that features two other defensemen (Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power) who handle most of the offensive responsibilities.
Buffalo Sabres may have to accept an underwhelming trade offer if they want to move Bowen Byram
It's never become clear why the Sabres targeted Byram in the first place. Dahlin and Power are both signed to long-term contracts that carry into the 2030s, and they're the team's power-play quarterbacks, leaving little room for the former Avs standout to showcase his strengths.
The poor fit has been even more obvious this season with the resurgence of Mattias Samuelsson, who's earned the right to move up the lineup with his strong two-way performance. It's left Byram to bounce around different pairs trying to find a spark.
Along with the lackluster baseline numbers mentioned by Wyshynski, the underlying metrics don't do the 2019 fourth overall pick any favors, either.
Byram ranks eighth out of nine Sabres defensemen in 5-on-5 expected goals for percentage (xGF%) at 48.7%, per Natural Stat Trick. That's ahead of only Conor Timmins (47.7%), who brings a lot of value to Buffalo's penalty kill.
Signing Byram to a two-year extension did give the Sabres' front office a little more time to figure out a solution, but his mundane play isn't helping the cause.
That's not to say the 6-foot-1 defender wouldn't find success elsewhere, but it would require a team prepared to give him a top-four role alongside a defensive-minded teammate along with ample power-play time to maximize his offense-first skill set.
It's something that simply isn't going to happen in Buffalo unless the long-struggling organization decides to trade Power, who hasn't lived up to the hype as a No. 1 overall pick, but that would come with a lot of risk for the Blue and Gold.
Ultimately, the Sabres may be forced to accept a trade offer well below the perceived market value if they simply want to move on from the Byram experiment.
If that doesn't happen before this season's trade deadline, it could occur in the offseason, especially if the club feels top prospect Radim Mrtka will be ready for a full-time NHL role in 2026-27.
One way or another, it's hard to imagine Byram staying in Buffalo beyond his current contract.