Sabres’ Bowen Byram, Mammoth’s Jack McBain Heading to Arbitration

The Buffalo Sabres and Utah Mammoth will be heading to salary arbitration. Each team opted into the arbitration process to help resolve outstanding contract negotiations with top restricted free agents. Now, the Sabres and defenseman Bowen Byram as well as the Mammoth and forward Jack McBain are headed to moderation.

The Mammoth and Sabres took advantage of the July 6th deadline for organizations to elect arbitration. The day before, 11 players chose this option.

Now that Byram and McBain are heading to arbitration, it changes a few aspects of the negotiation. The first is that neither can sign an offer sheet. Because of this, no other organization can swoop in and try to force the Sabres or Mammoth’s hands in a negotiation.

The second is that the players get to choose the term in dispute. That means that Byram or McBain could choose any length of time for this deal that will be arbitrated. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman suggested that both may choose two-year deals in an effort to eliminate the rest of their restricted free agent years. If both sign a two-year deal, they will be able to go to unrestricted free agency in their late 20s, giving them each a chance to maximize their career earnings.

“Since the team took them to arbitration,” he wrote via his X account. “The player (and agent) pick the term of the award. If they wish, both could choose two-year deals and go directly to unrestricted free agency. Still time to decide.”