Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram is eligible to sign a contract extension this offseason and general manager Jarmo Kekalainen confirmed during his season-ending press conference that it's one of the boxes he's hoping to check off his summer to-do list.
It's not a sure thing, though. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported Tuesday that Byram, who has one year left on his current contract, may be advised to test the NHL free-agent market next year by his agent, Darren Ferris.
"It will be interesting to see how it goes on the Byram front. He's scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent in 2027, and I think he really likes it in Buffalo, so it wouldn't surprise me if he extended this summer," LeBrun wrote. "On the other hand, Ferris philosophically often advises his clients to fully take advantage of their UFA option, so I could also see a scenario in which that's the advice for his client this summer, to play out his contract. We shall see."
The NHL insider added Kekalainen and Ferris are scheduled to have exploratory conversations at the 2026 NHL Draft Combine in Buffalo, which begins Sunday.
Byram overcame a sluggish start to the 2025-26 campaign to record a career-high 42 points (11 goals and 31 assists) while playing all 82 regular-season games. He added seven points (four goals and three helpers) across 13 playoff appearances.
The Sabres' memorable turnaround campaign was fueled by their top-four defense group of Byram, Rasmus Dahlin, Mattias Samuelsson and Owen Power. The other three are already locked into long-term deals, so it's no surprise the front office wants the same for the 2022 Stanley Cup champion.
Will Bowen Byram become a trade candidate if a Buffalo Sabres extension is off the table?
Kekalainen is in a tricky spot, at least in the short term, because the Sabres have limited salary-cap space ($12.9 million, per PuckPedia) and they'd like to re-sign winger Alex Tuch.
If they bring back Tuch at somewhere close to his reported asking price of around $10.5 million annually, not only would more moves be required to clear cap space this summer for Zach Benson and Peyton Krebs, but it'd also create future hurdles when it comes to re-signing Byram.
Along with Benson and Krebs, Buffalo must also prepare to pay the likes of Noah Ostlund, Jiri Kulich and Konsta Helenius in the coming years. It feels like letting Tuch leave via free agency to leave some financial flexibility is the way to go, but that's leave a significant hole in the roster.
It also creates a question about what comes next with Byram if the initial discussions with his agent reveal an extension isn't a realistic option.
The 24-year-old blueliner is set to count $6.25 million against the cap next season, and his trade value should be high based on his play since December. Now might be the time to move the talented defender if it's clear Ferris is going to urge him to test the free-agent waters.
Buffalo already went against standard asset management by keeping Tuch through this season's trade deadline. It paid off as the Blue and Gold ended the longest playoff drought in NHL history at 14 years, but the 6-foot-4 power forward failed to record a single point in the team's seven-game second-round series loss to the Montreal Canadiens, and now they stand to lose him for nothing.
Will the Sabres decide to travel down that same "own rental" road with Byram, or will Kekalainen opt to consider a trade that could free up some cap space to help re-sign Tuch? It's an intriguing scenario.
Of course, the player is ultimately in charge and Byram could push all of those hypothetical outcomes aside by telling his agent he wants to stay in Buffalo for the long haul.
It sounds like a clearer picture about his future with the organization may emerge within the next week or two after Kekalainen and Ferris hold their initial meeting.
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