Mar 1, 2025; Buffalo, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram (4) during a stoppage in play against the Montreal Canadiens at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

Sabres Prepared to Match Offer Sheets for Star Defenseman

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Jon Alfano | Last updated Jul 2, 2025 2:30 PM ET

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram may not be on the open market, but he's one of the most fascinating players to watch this offseason.

The Sabres extended a qualifying offer to Byram, 24, this week to make him a restricted free agent rather than letting him go to the open market. So, Buffalo exclusively holds Byram's signing rights, but other teams can present offer sheets to him.

If other teams do present offer sheets, though, Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams says he is "absolutely" prepared to match them.

When a team presents an offer sheet to a restricted free agent, that player's team has a set amount of time to decide whether or not to match the contract to keep the player. If the team elects not to match, then it will receive draft compensation from the signing team, with the amount of picks based on the contract signed.

Here is the draft choice compensation scale for NHL offer sheets this summer: pic.twitter.com/Ty2KxTJgLS
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) July 1, 2025

In the case of Byram specifically, TSN's Chris Johnston shared what an offer sheet could look like.

"Feeling is the sweet spot on this falls at the $7,020,113 mark on the scale," Johnston wrote. "If deal comes in under that, the compensation would be a 1st- and 3rd-rounder. Danger in matching is that you'd be walking Byram straight to UFA next summer while losing the ability to trade him."

While Adams doesn't want to lose Byram to an offer sheet, a trade may be a different story. However, he wants pieces to improve the Sabres' current roster, not futures.

"We believe Bo is an excellent hockey player who can help our team win," Adams said, per Matthew Bove of WKBW. "I've maintained the same position, if there's a deal out there that makes sense for us, we think is going to improve our roster, we're open to it."

Byram, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft by the Colorado Avalanche, scored seven goals and 38 points in 82 games with the Sabres last season while averaging 22:42 of ice time, all career-highs. While he's been very good for the Sabres, they've already signed fellow left-handed defensemen Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power to long-term details, so they have a bit of a logjam at the position.

TSN's Darren Dreger reported that the Calgary Flames, Vegas Golden Knights, Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues are among the teams to reach out for a Byram trade.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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