NHL Trade Rumors: Bowen Byram could walk away from Buffalo Sabres as insane $9 million offer looms | NHL News
A young NHL defenseman may be on the move this summer. Buffalo Sabres’ restricted free agent Bowen Byram is making headlines as insiders discuss the possibility of him receiving a big offer from another team. The price could be very high, and some experts say it might be too much for the Sabres to match. Could Byram really leave Buffalo after just one season?
Bowen Byram could receive big offer from another NHL team this summer
On July 1, 2025, NHL insiders Elliotte Friedman and Nick Kypreos discussed Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram during a segment on Sportsnet 590 The Fan. They talked about the growing possibility of Byram receiving an offer sheet from another team.Bowen Byram is a restricted free agent, meaning another team can offer him a contract, but the Sabres can match it or receive compensation in return. Kypreos said Byram could get up to $10 million per year on the open market. Friedman agreed and compared Byram’s value to Ivan Provorov, who signed a $59.5 million deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets.Friedman also shared that he heard teams were thinking about making a one-year offer sheet for Byram. That would force the Sabres to either match the offer or lose him.
Buffalo Sabres may not match a high offer and could choose to trade Bowen Byram
If a team offers Byram a contract worth $9 million or more per season, and the Sabres don’t match it, Buffalo would receive a first, second, and third-round pick in return. However, insiders believe this may not help Buffalo right now. The team wants to win now, not wait for future draft picks.Friedman and Kypreos both said the Sabres may prefer trading Byram instead of letting him go through an offer sheet. This would allow them to get better players back in return. The situation is like what happened in 2019 when Sebastian Aho signed an offer sheet with Montreal, but the Carolina Hurricanes matched it quickly.Bowen Byram signed a two-year $7.7 million deal with the Colorado Avalanche before being traded to Buffalo earlier this year in the Casey Mittelstadt deal. He’s still only 23 years old, but already seen as a top young defender.Also Read: “We Judge Women Very Harshly”: Jane Macdougall Exposes Lasting Damage From Fake NHL Affair Rumor With Kirk McLeanAs of now, no team has officially submitted an offer sheet. But if someone does, the Buffalo Sabres will have to make a fast and difficult decision.
