5 Trade Destinations for Sabres’ Defenseman Bowen Byram

With Byram set to become a restricted free agent on July 1, multiple reports from insiders, including Elliotte Friedman, have stated that the Sabres and Byram are looking to part ways this offseason. There was also a report by Chad DeDominicis of Expected Buffalo that he expects the Sabres to trade Byram by the 2025 NHL Draft. Here are five teams that would be great landing spots for him.

Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to make major changes to the roster this summer, between the uncertainty surrounding Mitch Marner and John Tavares, and Matthew Knies’ status as a restricted free agent. The one area the Maple Leafs seem to lack is a true puck-moving, left-handed defenseman.

Morgan Rielly is an underrated defenseman, but Byram would help the Maple Leafs in every aspect, especially offensively. Outside of Rielly, the team’s defense is pretty thin, and having a top four of Rielly, Byram, Chris Tanev, and Brandon Carlo (who they acquired at the 2025 Trade Deadline) would be an upgrade over what they have now. If they want to get over the playoff hump, they should acquire Byram.

The Maple Leafs have a few options they can include in a trade for Byram, including defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and winger Nicholas Robertson. Given Ekman-Larsson is 33 years old, he’s in no way a long-term fix on the blue line but is more of a bridge player until the Sabres can find a stable partner for power. What makes Ekman-Larsson an attractive asset is he is on a very affordable contract as he is set to make $3.5 million a season through 2027-2028. He would be a reliable right-shot defenseman who could provide some valuable minutes playing alongside Owen Power on the Sabres’ second defensive pair.

Robertson is a 23-year-old winger who has a little bit of upside but just gets buried in the Maple Leafs’ depth chart. He scored a career-high 15 goals this past season in 69 games played. Playing only 12 minutes a night, he does not have much opportunity to grow and develop as a player, whereas on the Sabres, he’d be given a better chance as their roster is not nearly as strong.

St. Louis Blues

The St. Louis Blues and Sabres could be perfect trade partners. The Blues lack left-handed defensemen, and the Sabres lack right-handed defensemen. The Blues have a surplus of right-handed defensemen that they can offer in a trade for Byram. None of them would be a long-term fix, as most of them are in their 30s and will be unrestricted free agents after the 2025-2026 season, but they could help the Sabres’ blue line, especially Power.

A player like Cam Fowler would make an immediate impact on the Sabres’ blue line, but the Blues would have to send more than just Byram to land him. They’d also have to add a younger forward with high upside, like 23-year-old Jake Neighbours. He played all 82 games this season, recording career highs in assists (24) and points (46) while also tallying 22 goals. In the playoffs, he recorded six points (one goal and five assists) in seven games.

The only question would be whether the Blues would be willing to trade Neighbours, as he has the potential to be one of the team’s best players. However, to trade for a good player, you need to trade a good player.

Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks could use a defenseman like Byram. Even though the organization has a plethora of young defensemen developing, Byram’s experience at only 25 would make an impact on and off the ice. Anaheim has four defensemen under the age of 25: Pavel Mintyukov, Olen Zellweger, Jackson LaCombe, and Drew Helleson. Adding a player of Byram’s caliber would significantly improve the defensive core, and he would slot in nicely on the top pair with LaCombe.

If I had to guess, Hellson would be the odd man out. He has some upside, which is what the Sabres need on the blue line, and he is right-handed, which should make him appealing to the club.

The Ducks finished with 80 points this season, representing a 21-point improvement from last season. Adding Byram to a roster that is poised to continue developing should help the Ducks compete for a playoff spot next season.

Detroit Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings need a defenseman. Outside of Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson, their blue line is aging and weak. Luckily, all their contracts expire after the 2025-2026 season, except Seider’s, which makes this a good opportunity to trade for Byram.

Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman has attempted to bring in aging veterans to mentor his younger players, but the approach hasn’t been successful. I think now it’s time to switch things up and bring in young players that are just about to enter their prime and that starts with acquiring Byram. The Sabres might not be willing to trade a potential top-pair defenseman to a division rival, but they did trade Dylan Cozens to the Ottawa Senators at the deadline, so anything is possible.

In a trade for Byram, Axel Sandin-Pellikka would have to be the main asset being traded to the Sabres. Drafted 17th overall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, he has yet to make his NHL debut but is one of the Red Wings’ top prospects who is looking to make the NHL roster come next season. He is a valuable asset who has a high ceiling and has a shot to be an excellent defenseman in the league for a decade plus.

Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings are the perfect fit for Byram. The Kings not only have the assets to acquire him, but Byram would slot in perfectly next to right-shot defenseman Brandt Clarke on the top-pair; the two of them could run Los Angeles for the next decade. Unfortunately, the Kings would likely have to part with defenseman Jordan Spence in this deal. The Sabres need a right-handed defenseman to play with Power, and Spence would be the perfect fit.

The Kings would have to give up more than Spence to land Byram, but a trade here could make sense for both sides. The Kings also have the cap space to sign Byram this offseason. The Kings have $24.6 million available, and although they have a few players on expiring contracts such as Vladislav Gavrikov, Andrei Kuzmenko, Tanner Jeannot, and Alex Laferriere, they will still have enough cap space to sign Byram long-term if they can acquire him.

Byram will be traded this offseason; it’s just a matter of the asking price. It takes time for the foundation of a trade and negotiating assets to materialize. Where will Byram end up by the start of next season?