The 2024-25 regular season is nearly upon us. The Buffalo Sabres have been talked about at nauseam, and with good reason. Results have looked good so far in the preseason, but the roster will look different when opening night rolls around.
New/old head coach Lindy Ruff has already begun transforming the culture that has seen the Sabres miss the playoffs 13 seasons and counting. One player who may be primed for a big season under Ruff is Bowen Byram.
How Byram’s 2023-24 Season Went
Byram, the fourth overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, had enticed the Colorado Avalanche with his skating and offensive ability from the moment they selected him. By the time last season rolled around, however, frustration had begun to creep in.
Byram couldn’t manage to stay on the ice for long, dealing with a myriad of injuries during his three seasons in Denver. Even still, it took many by surprise when he was dealt to the Sabres ahead of the trade deadline for center Casey Mittelstadt.
Byram began strong with the Sabres, though he leveled out over his 18 games in Buffalo. Even still, he was on the ice for nearly 22 minutes per night, looked like a good fit most of the time, and contributed nine points in that 18-game stretch. It is a small sample size, but one that looks promising.
What the Sabres Need From Byram
At just 23 years old, the best days for Byram are more than likely ahead. He did seem like a good fit at the end of last season, setting the table for a potentially big season ahead. He won’t need to be Rasmus Dahlin, carrying the Sabres in every meaningful way, but they do need him to consistently deliver on his potential.
Related: Buffalo Sabres 2024-25 Player Projections: Rasmus Dahlin
What they need from Byram is to show more of what he brought to the team in the wake of the trade. He rushed the puck with confidence, displaying the speed and skill that made him such a high draft pick in the first place.
Moreover, they need him to become a fixture in the top four. If he, Dahlin, Owen Power, and Henri Jokiharju can play to their potential, the Sabres will have one of the more formidable top-four defensive units in the NHL. It will also allow Mattias Samuelsson to solidify the bottom pairing (provided he can stay healthy).
2024-25 Projection
Early reports from camp and the preseason show that Byram is thriving. His skating is an obvious asset and will be put to good use given how mobile the rest of the unit is. Anything less than a big jump forward in play and production will be a disappointment.
Perhaps the most important projection for Byram is ice time. Though he may not garner much power play time – Dahlin will get first-unit responsibilities and Power may be the lone defenseman on the second unit – his ice time per game should be consistent with how much he played following the trade.
Averaging between 21 and 22 minutes per night, look for Byram to hit new highs. If he can play 75 games or more, a line of 15-29-44 wouldn’t be unrealistic. He has the potential to do more than that, but no power play time will keep him from going a whole lot farther than that. More importantly, Byram should become one of the best defensemen on the Sabres by season’s end.
A Key Piece to the Defense
Byram is just 23 years old. He has a long future ahead of him so long as he can stay on the ice. He looked good as a whole last season, playing a career-high 73 games. Playing on the Sabres’ second pairing, there is a whole lot of potential for this season and beyond.
Dahlin and Power will likely garner much of the attention. Given that they were both first-overall picks, that’s understandable. Byram will be able to comfortably ingratiate himself in the lineup and take on a bigger role. If he does manage to have a career year, there is no telling how good he can be from there.
