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The Buffalo Sabres signed Bowen Byram to a two-year, $12.5 million contract extension on Monday — but that doesn't necessarily mean the 24-year-old will be spending the next couple of seasons in Western New York.
As The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta reported, general manager Kevyn Adams is still willing to trade the offensive defenseman for the right price.
“Byram, who avoids an arbitration hearing after getting his new deal ironed out, has been the subject of trade speculation for the better part of a year and the chatter picked up significantly this month. Trade talks, however, are expected to continue,” Pagnotta wrote on Tuesday.
“Sabres GM Kevyn Adams remains open to the possibility of moving Byram if it means improving other areas of the roster, specifically up front, where the Sabres are trying to add a top-six forward by the start of the new season.”
Byram was a restricted free agent and will now avoid a salary arbitration hearing that had been elected by the Sabres. The young blue liner managed a career-high 38 points in 2024-25 (seven goals, 31 assists), playing a full 82-game slate.
After being acquired from the Colorado Avalanche back in March of 2024, it was Byram's first full season in Western New York. He led all Sabres players in blocked shots with 117 and was second in time on ice, averaging 22:42 per game.
Selected with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, Byram has chipped in 110 points in 246 regular-season games, adding another 12 assists in 27 Stanley Cup Playoff contests split between Buffalo and Colorado. He was part of the Avalanche team that won the Stanley Cup in 2022.
Sabres looking to extend Alex Tuch after Bowen Byram contract?
Pagnotta also reported on Tuesday that the Sabres are discussing a new contract with key forward Alex Tuch, who, like Byram, has seen his name swirling in trade rumors for months.
“As Adams navigates the trade waters, he is also expected to pick up contract negotiations with winger Alex Tuch, who is in the final year of a seven-year, $33.25 million contract,” wrote the hockey insider.
“The Sabres have engaged in preliminary talks with Tuch’s camp and that remains the case. As of Monday evening, the two sides have not discussed term or dollars, but have expressed mutual interest in getting a new deal ironed out. Actual negotiations are expected to begin in the near future.”
Tuch has been one of Buffalo's best players since coming over from the Vegas Golden Knights in the trade that sent Jack Eichel to the strip. In 2024-25, Tuch managed 36 goals and 67 points in 82 games. The former first-round pick had his best campaign in 2022-23, when he amassed 79 points in 74 games.
As it stands, the only players on the Sabres' roster who remain without a contract are Conor Timmins and Devon Levi — both are restricted free agents. The former was acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins at the end of June, while the latter could be headed to the American Hockey League after Buffalo signed Alex Lyon in free agency.
It'll be interesting to see if both Tuch and Byram remain on the roster come training camp, and what other moves Adams makes to try and get this franchise back to playoff contention for the first time in 15 years.
