Sabres Facing Pressure Following Bowen Byram's Contract Decision

One of those things is a loss of control over the term, as Johnston explained. Since Byram didn’t file for arbitration himself, Buffalo blocked offer sheet attempts from rival clubs but handed Byram the power to choose the length of his next contract.

He can choose a one- or two-year deal through arbitration, and if he opts for two, he will become an unrestricted free agent in 2026 once that contract his over.

“To my knowledge, he hasn’t chosen what his award will be,” Johnston said. “But he has the ability to say, ‘Hey, I’ll go through arbitration, and it’s a two-year award, and then I’m a UFA at the end.’ So it hands him some power…

“(And the second thing) what it does is it takes away his ability now to sign an offer sheet.”

The Sabres acquired Byram from Colorado in March. Although it's fair to assume Buffalo would rather keep the player and lock him into a long-term deal, Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams has not ruled out a trade.

"I've maintained the same position that if there's a deal out there that makes sense for us that we think is going to improve our roster, we're open to it," Adams said. "If there's not, we're not in a situation where we're looking to move him out or looking to move him out for futures and stuff like that.

"For me, we want to help our team win hockey games, and he does that."

With the pressure related to the arbitration process mounting and the possibility of losing Byram for nothing in one or two seasons, there's a chance the Sabres will end up moving Byram.