Elliotte Friedman on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast reported that the Buffalo Sabres are gauging the trade market for Bowen Byram. Byram is a restricted free agent this summer, and Friedman believes that a bigger role “absolutely is part of the decision-making process here”. He likely does not want to stay behind Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power on the Sabres’ blue line. He wants to be the number one defenseman on a team, and likely hired a new agent, Darren Ferris, on May 9 to help him achieve that.
The Sabres have a very important offseason ahead. With general manager (GM) Kevyn Adams in the last year of his contract, every move he makes will be geared towards making the playoffs. They can’t afford more moves like trading a second-round draft pick for Beck Malenstyn. If they’re going to trade draft picks, getting an impact player in return is more important than ever in Adams’ tenure as GM.
If the Sabres try to move Byram, they’ll need a plan in place to replace him, specifically acquiring a right-handed defenseman. If they don’t, the organization will have to put all their chips in on Aaron Ekblad, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. For Ekblad to sign with the Sabres, they’d have to give him a seven-year deal worth $9 million per season, which is a lot of money, but for a top-pair right-handed defenseman who is 28 years old, it could be worth it for the team.
Finding out Byram’s value on the market is not a bad thing, but people no longer trust Adams to make the right decisions, and if the Sabres want to make the playoffs next season, they need to keep Byram and sign him long-term.
Related: Buffalo Sabres 2024-2025 Player Report Card: Bowen Byram
That said, the LA Kings could be interested in trading for Byram. He could be their future number-one defenseman when Drew Doughty retires. Here’s what I think a trade could look like:
LA Kings Acquire
- Bowen Byram
Sabres Acquire
- Jordan Spence
- Alex Turcotte
The Kings get a bona fide first-pairing defenseman who can instantly play in any situation. Byram can give the Kings a solid 23 minutes a night. He already has a Stanley Cup (2022 Colorado Avalanche) and the playoff experience to help their blue line during a playoff run. Brandt Clarke and Byram would be two great pillars on the Kings’ defense.
On the Sabres’ side, they acquire a much-needed right-handed defenseman in Spence. He would be a great fit with either Dahlin or Power on the right side. If Spence can play on the second pair with Power, Adams would have finally found Power a decent partner. That means Mattias Samuelsson would be on the top pair with Dahlin. Samuelsson was a great shutdown defenseman in 2022–23, when he was paired with Dahlin for most of the season.
The Sabres also receive Turcotte. He has not had a great start to his career, but he has dealt with some injury issues and time spent in the American Hockey League (AHL). Turcotte started his career in the AHL and has been up and down between the AHL and NHL since being drafted in 2019. He just completed his first full season in the NHL, playing 68 games and recording 25 points (nine goals and 16 assists). He could use a change of scenery, and he wouldn’t be under any real pressure to perform in Buffalo. However, adding a bit of speed and skill to the bottom-six to play alongside Peyton Krebs could be beneficial.
Unfortunately, if Byram will not agree to sign in Buffalo long-term, Adams should trade him for a right-handed defenseman, whether it’s to the Kings or somewhere else. Will Byram get traded before the start of training camp in September?
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