The Buffalo Sabres will not need arbitration after all. The offseason had been defined by the organization's inability to finalize a new contract with rising defenseman Bowen Byram. Recording a career-high 38 points last season, Byram was an excellent fit in his first full season in Buffalo. Strong fit aside, Byram's contract status remained in limbo after the Sabres tendered a qualifying offer to the restricted free agent.
Instead of going through the arbitration process with Byram , the Sabres finalized a new contract with the 24-year-old puck-mover. The organization announced that Byram signed a new, two-year contract to stay in Buffalo. The deal is worth a total of $12.5 million and carries an average annual value of $6.25 million. The salary makes him the third-highest paid defender on the team, behind captain Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power.
The new contract makes good on the sentiments shared by the Sabres' management group all summer long. Byram was easily the top candidate to receive an offer sheet from another franchise. Still, the Sabres remained adamant that they would match any prospective offer sheet for their rising star defenseman. They eluded any offer sheets and managed to extend Byram for two more seasons.
The one down side to this new contract is what happens when it expires. The good news is that Byram will be with the Sabres through the 2026-2027 season. Upon the contract's expiring, Byram will be an unrestricted free agent. That means the Sabres will have to convince Byram to sign long-term over these next two campaigns. If unsuccessful, Byram will be in his prime years when he reaches unrestricted free agency. Meaning, Byram will cash out on his next contract, regardless of what team he signs with.
Byram is a former fourth-overall pick in the NHL Draft. The Colorado Avalanche selected him with their first pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. He joined the Sabres just prior to the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline, when Buffalo swapped center Casey Mittelstadt for Byram. Now, Buffalo hopes the young defender can help the Sabres end their seemingly endless playoff drought.
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