One day after the Buffalo Sabres traded defenseman Michael Kesselring to the San Jose Sharks, it sounds like trade talks are beginning to intensify around fellow blueliner Bowen Byram.
NHL insider Darren Dreger of TSN reported Thursday there are "multiple teams exploring a trade" for Byram, who can become an unrestricted free agent after the 2026-27 season.
"Agent Darren Ferris has some history with marching players to the open market. Motivation for trade consideration," Dreger wrote.
Byram is coming off a campaign where he posted a career-high 42 points (11 goals and 31 assists) while playing all 82 regular-season games for the Sabres. He added four goals and three helpers in 13 appearances during Buffalo's run to the second round of the 2026 NHL Playoffs
The 25-year-old mobile defenseman, who won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022, has long sought an opportunity to become a top-pair defender with a significant role as a power-play quarterback. Those spots are primarily occupied by Rasmus Dahlin in Buffalo.
Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen expressed interest in signing Byram to a long-term contract extension at his season-ending press conference. A trade always felt possible if the 2019 first-round draft pick wasn't interest in re-signing with the Blue and Gold, though.
So far, there's been no indication the sides are close to an agreement, which could be a signal Buffalo's focus has shifted toward exploring the available trade options.
Trading Bowen Byram would represent a significant risk for the Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres' long-awaited success, which resulted in the club's first postseason appearance since 2011, was built on the strength of their top-four defense group: Dahlin, Byram, Mattias Samuelsson and Owen Power. That quartet's two-way involvement was unmatched around the NHL.
Buffalo had hoped Kesselring was going to fill one of those spots, but he suffered through an injury-riddled season, which opened the door for Samuelsson's breakthrough year.
In turn, Kesselring became the odd man out of the top four and it wasn't much of a surprise when he was dealt to San Jose on Wednesday. The Sabres moved up from No. 27 to No. 20 in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft as part of that deal.
Moving Byram would be a more consequential trade.
Buffalo doesn't have a player prepared to fill his crucial role. The main in-house options would be Conor Timmins and Zach Metsa. You could make a case for top prospect Radim Mrtka, but a year of development with the AHL's Rochester Americans feels like the better option for him.
So, if Byram is moved — it'd likely be as part of a trade for a high-upside, top-six forward — the Sabres will have some serious work to do filling in the holes on the blue line. While dealing from a position of strength makes sense, they shouldn't get too far away from what made them successful.
The contract situation is obviously the added variable here.
Buffalo is running out of time to re-sign star winger Alex Tuch, an impending UFA. It kept him as an "own rental" but, over the long haul, front offices can't simply let all of their most valuable players depart in free agency without getting anything in return.
If initial contract talks between Kekalainen and Ferris revealed a substantial gap in perceived value (or complete non-interest in Byram signing an extension), now is the best time to consider a trade since his value is high. Waiting until the 2027 deadline would hinder the return package.
Ultimately, it was clear from the moment the Montreal Canadiens eliminated the Sabres in Game 7 of the second round that Kekalainen was staring down a high-pressure summer. He needed to upgrade the roster and decide on current and future free agents, all while dealing with a cap crunch.
Trading Kesselring was the first step toward solving a complicated puzzle. Dealing away Byram could create some added financial flexibility ($6.25 million cap hit) but with plenty of downside risk.
One way or another, however, Buffalo will need to make some difficult decisions over the next few months, even if it decides to retain Byram in the end.
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