The Buffalo Sabres’ playoff drought extended to a 14th season this past year. This has led to speculation that some players want to leave the franchise. The Sabres did secure a piece of their future plans, though. They have re-signed Bowen Byram to a two-year contract. While Byram could have had a desire to leave Buffalo, he gets a solid deal while the Sabres keep their defensive core together.
It has been a busy summer for the Sabres, and it started with a massive trade. They traded JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth, getting Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan back in return. They would also make another trade, sending Connor Clifton to the Pittsburgh Penguins and getting Conor Timmins and Isaac Belliveau in return. Meanwhile, Buffalo also re-signed Jack Quinn and Ryan McLeod. There was speculation that the Sabres would trade Byram, but they were able to come to terms with the restricted free agent.
Byram was the fourth overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft by the Colorado Avalanche. The Canadian blue liner broke into the NHL in the 2020-21 season, playing in 19 games. He would win a Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022. The defender would be sent to the Sabres in March 2024 as part of the deal for Casey Mittelstadt. He just completed his first full season in Buffalo and was a restricted free agent. Byram was offered salary arbitration, preventing him from being signed to an offer sheet. The Sabres will still have just under $6 million in cap space after this deal as well.
The Sabres keep a top-4 defender
Byram is coming off a solid season in Buffalo. He was second on the team in ice time per game last year, trailing just Rasmus Dahlin. Further, he was third in points among defensemen, trailing just Dahlin and Owen Power. He has also continued to improve year over year. Last season, he played in all 82 games for the first time in his career. Further, he had his third straight season scoring over 20 points. He did have his lowest goal total in the last three years, but had a career high of 31 assists.
His advanced stats show that he may not be done improving as well. He has improved every year in rush numbers and scoring chances created. His defense has also been solid in 5v5 situations and is improving. He had a career high in shots blocked this year and in takeaways. The Canadian also had the second-highest hit total of his career last season. He also took a step forward on the penalty kill this past year. The Sabres struggled on the penalty kill overall, sitting 23rd in the NHL. Still, Byram had his best overall season on the PK this year.
The defender will be just 24 years old this season, and with three straight years of improving numbers, it is fair to assume that will continue. He played on both the top and second pairing this past year, and can play on both sides of the blue line. He did primarily play on the left side, but can move to the right when needed. With a versatile defender who is also putting up offensive numbers, keeping him in the mix was a solid signing for the Sabres.
Final thoughts and grade on the Bowen Byram signing
This was a solid deal for the Sabres. They bring back a defender who was second on the team in ice time, and can pair with Dahlin on the top line, or can go behind Power, playing on the second pair with Kesselring. The team also avoids arbitration, and can still move Byram if they get the right deal offered to them. Further, the Sabres still have cap space and have just two restricted free agents left to re-sign if they choose to do so. There is an expectation in Buffalo to end the playoff drought, and bringing back their blue liner is a major step in the right direction to do just that.
For Byram, he got a solid deal. The expectation for his contract was between $5.1 and $7.2 million, depending on the length of the contract. He is getting $6.25 million for each of the next two years. This makes him the third highest-paid defenseman on the team, behind Dahlin and Power. Byram was potentially interested in a move, but was not able to leave the Sabres. With this deal being two years in length, he will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the pact, allowing him to explore other teams without the worry of restricted free agency. If he continues the trajectory he is on, he will likely get a major pay day in two years as well.
Buffalo Sabres Grade: B
Bowen Byram Grade: C+
-1749270323-q80.webp "Browns Superstar Key To Unlocking Mason Graham")
