The Buffalo Sabres have been creating plenty of chatter in the rumor mill lately. It is understandable, as they are struggling big time, losing each of their last 10 games.
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Bowen Byram is one specific Sabre who has generated trade buzz this season, and now that is only continuing. Chris Johnston placed Byram at the No. 16 spot in his most recent trade board for The Athletic.
Johnston wrote that while the Sabres are not actively shopping Byram, he could be the notable player that the Atlantic Division club uses to make a splash. There is no question that teams around the NHL would love to have the left-shot defenseman on their roster. He is a young top-four defenseman with a Stanley Cup on his resume.
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However, if the Sabres traded Byram, it would undoubtedly come with risk. The 23-year-old has emerged as an essential part of Buffalo's blueline and is having a solid season thus far. In 31 games, the 6-foot-1 defender has four goals, 14 assists, 18 points, and a plus-2 rating. With numbers like these, he is on pace to set new career highs offensively.
It will be interesting to see if the Sabres end up using Byram as a trade chip to land an upgrade elsewhere. He is a pending restricted free agent with a $3.85 million cap hit.
