The Buffalo Sabres are testing the trade market for restricted free agent defenseman Bowen Byram, according to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman.
“There’s no doubt his name is out there,” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said on the “32 Thoughts” podcast. “There is no doubt they are gauging market value on him. We’ll see where this takes us, but there is definitely noise around the Byram name and the Buffalo Sabres.”
Byram, 23, needs a new contract after his two-year, $7.7-million deal expired. The Colorado Avalanche traded him to Buffalo for forward Casey Mittelstadt before the 2024 trade deadline.
The 6-foot-1 defenseman played his first full NHL season in 2023-24, posting career-high numbers across the board.
He recorded 38 points while averaging 22 minutes of ice time per game.
Byram also tied for third on the Sabres with a plus-11 rating.
Buffalo has approximately $21.4 million in cap space available this summer, according to PuckPedia. The team has several key restricted free agents to sign beyond Byram, including forwards JJ Peterka and Jack Quinn.
The Sabres will likely pursue additional roster help after missing the playoffs for the 14th consecutive season – the longest active drought in the NHL.
Byram was selected fourth overall in the 2019 NHL Draft and won a Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2022 before being traded to Buffalo.
