Sabres trade rumor is terrible news for Bowen Byram’s future in Buffalo originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Much of the Buffalo Sabres discussion around Alex Tuch’s free agency has been about what the Sabres can do with the money if they don’t sign Tuch to a long-term deal.
One name that comes into that conversation is Bowen Byram, the talented defenseman who could be due to get a long-term contract.
Maybe, though, that’s not actually a realistic point to make. It sounds like Byram might have other ideas.
On Monday, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun wrote about the firestorm of trades that might be hitting the NHL this offseason. It began with Brady Tkachuk going from the Senators to the Panthers on Sunday.
And the point LeBrun makes is that more and more, these standout players are positioning themselves to get moved.
Detroit’s Dylan Larkin could be next. Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck could be coming, too.
And into that bunch, LeBrun brings up Byram.
“Per my TSN colleague Darren Dreger, it sounds like Bowen Byram isn’t interested in a long-term marriage with the Buffalo Sabres and could be on the move at some point, too,” LeBrun writes.
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That’s a painful one for Sabres fans to hear, because Byram was so good in Buffalo’s first trip to the playoffs in 15 years.
The Sabres benefited from an extremely impressive defensive unit, and Byram was a big part of that.
His offensive skillset combined with defensive acumen makes Byram the kind of player a lot of teams would covet in a potential trade. Buffalo could get a strong return for Byram.
But given that the Sabres have returned to contention, they were likely hoping they wouldn’t have to make trades with the future in mind. It’d be much simpler to give Byram an extension.
If Byram doesn’t want to stick around, though, it doesn’t matter. And that may be the spot the Sabres have now found themselves in.
