After breakout season, Bowen Byram wants to sign new contract with Sabres

BUFFALO – When the Sabres traded for Bowen Byram before the 2024 deadline, general manager Kevyn Adams acknowledged they weren’t sure how he would fit in their lineup.

In Byram, they saw a talented defenseman drafted fourth overall who had won the Stanley Cup in 2022. Players of his caliber who have sipped from hockey’s holy grail rarely become available in their early 20s.

Adams couldn’t pass up adding a high-end defenseman, so he dealt center Casey Mittelstadt to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Byram.

“We were willing to kind of make that bet and say, ‘Let’s bring in a really, really good hockey player and see how it shakes out,’” Adams said Saturday during his end-of-season news conference in KeyBank Center. “I think he had a nice season.”

Byram, 23, enjoyed a breakout season while playing all 82 games for the first time in his five-year career.

His 31 assists, 38 points and plus-11 rating were all career bests. The 22 minutes, 42 seconds of ice time he averaged per contest also set a career high and ranked second on the Sabres, trailing only captain Rasmus Dahlin.

Byram earned the larger role he coveted when he joined the Sabres.

“I’ve been lucky enough to come in and get a really good opportunity and play important minutes and meaningful minutes and I’ve really enjoyed that,” he said. “I’ve taken some strides in my game.”

As a restricted free agent this offseason, he will command a hefty raise from the $3.85 million he earned this season.

Byram, who played 27 postseason games before arriving in Buffalo, said he wants to complete a new contract with the Sabres.

“We have a great crew of guys in the locker room and a lot of great players,” he said Saturday. “… I’m excited for (the contract) process. Kevyn’s great to work with and very communicative of what he wants and what he thinks is best for myself and the team.”

What’s best for the Sabres, however, could be a different option. Naturally, Adams said he’s open to signing Byram to a short- or longer-term contract.

But the Sabres have other notable RFAs – most notably goalie Devon Levi, center Ryan McLeod and wingers JJ Peterka and Jack Quinn – to re-sign. They would also like to lock up winger Alex Tuch, who will be entering the final season of his contract.

The money goes very quickly. Even with the salary cap projected to increase by $7.5 million next season, it might be difficult to pay Byram $7 or $8 million per year and keep everyone else. Trading him could help the Sabres fill one of their needs.

Byram’s development this season certainly enhanced his value. While he sometimes struggled down the stretch, he evolved into a sturdier two-way presence.

“I think I took strides in different areas of the game this year,” he said. “Defensively, for a big chunk of the season, I thought I was playing some of the best defensive hockey I’ve played in the NHL. It was kind of a rocky end of the season for me, but in terms of the defensive side of the puck, I’m happy with some of the strides I did take.”

The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Byram spent his first full season in Buffalo skating with different partners. He ended it alongside Connor Clifton. He played part of the winter with Dahlin, forming a unique, high-end tandem featuring two aggressive, puck-moving defensemen.

He usually stayed back and let Dahlin go.

“In terms of the offensive side, when you’re playing with different guys it kind of changes, right?” Byram said. “I’m playing with Rasmus and he’s, in my opinion, one of the best defensemen in the NHL, and his numbers and everything will support that.

“When I’m out there with him, I’m trying to be a complimentary player for him, get him the puck when I can, and make sure he’s comfortable being up in the rush and everything. But (I’m) also trying not to let that take away from my game.”