Sabres Facing Pressure After Decision on Bowen Byram's Contract
The Buffalo Sabres have entered a delicate phase with defenseman Bowen Byram following their decision to take him to arbitration.
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As NHL insider Chris Johnston explained in Monday's episode of "The Chris Johnston Show," the Sabres' decision to file for arbitration has major implications on both the short- and long-term future of the player and the organization.
'Yeah, interesting spot now,' Johnston said. 'Because the Sabres have elected for a team-elected salary arbitration with Bowen Byram, which means a couple of things."
'First of all, he gets to choose whether it'd be a one- or two-year award from the arbitrator.'
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.
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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 is 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.'
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram and the Sabres are headed to salary arbitration.Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
The Sabres acquired Byram from Colorado in March 2024. 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.
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"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.
Related: Elliotte Friedman Explains Implications of Sabres' Move on Bowen Byram
Related: Sabres Turned Down Multiple Blockbuster Trade Offers for JJ Peterka: Report
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
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