Discussing the Bowen Byram Trade Rumors

Bowen Byram of the Buffalo Sabres has been gaining lots of attention around the NHL. Kevin Weekes of ESPN is reporting that multiple teams were interested in trading for Byram. Byram is 24 years old and a young defenseman who has put up solid numbers. Last season, he was a 38-point player and a +11 on the ice. 

Bowen Byram Could Fit Well On Any Team 

Bowen Byram played all 82 games with Buffalo last season. He can play on the second pair or even the top pair if need be. After the Sabres shipped out JJ Peterka, it’s clear they’re trying to get value out of some of their key players. Byram could be next. Buffalo still has many great defensemen on its roster, including Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin, so moving Byram wouldn’t hurt them too much. 

Teams that have a veteran defenseman but need something to spice things up should look into Byram. The St. Louis Blues, for example, might be one of those teams. They have veteran defensemen Cam Fowler and Colton Parayko, but the Blues could use another young defenseman with upside. If the Blues were to acquire Byram, he would be a perfect pairing with Philip Broberg. 

The Move Doesn’t Always Fit the Timeline 

The Buffalo Sabres have been in a rebuild for what seems like a decade now. When is it going to end? They just sent Peterka to Utah, who is 23 years old and is coming off a 67-point season. The return was not worth the value Buffalo gave up, and it leaves NHL fans scratching their head as to how this organization continues to make questionable moves after questionable moves.

There is essentially no reason to trade Bowen Byram if you’re the Sabres front office because he’s locked into a $3.8-million cap hit. There have been no reports of any trade between Buffalo and another team, but keep your eye out for it.