NHL Trade Rumors: 4 Teams In Deep Trade Talks With Sabres for Bowen Byram

Buffalo Sabres in trade talks with 4 teams on Bowen Byram

The Bowen Byram Sweepstakes continue to percolate in Buffalo. The Sabres' RFA defenseman has been the center of trade rumors all year, and things are heating up to a boil. According to insider Darren Dreger of TSN, there are four teams he notes that are at the top of the list, deep in talks with the Sabres.

There's a lot of trade activity that's happening around Bowen Byram and the Buffalo Sabres... (there are) top 4 teams that are at least deeply involved in trade conversations specific to Byram.

Those four teams, says Dreger, are as follows:

Calgary Flames
Vegas Golden Knights
Los Angeles Kings
St. Louis Blues

A couple of those teams' interest may have waned, however, as noted by Lyle Richardson of Spector's Hockey, after the Kings signed D-men Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci, while the Blues traded for Logan Mailloux from Montreal.

Sabres GM Kevyn Adams this morning said he's open to a deal if it helps Buffalo, but he's not looking for futures, it has to be a hockey trade that improves his team now.

Dreger says it's also still possible that an offer sheet could be formulating from one of those teams. But if Byram did sign one, Adams made it clear they will "absolutely" match it:

Kevyn Adams on where things stand with RFA Bowen Byram @WKBW pic.twitter.com/EbfU3Gww8n
— Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) July 2, 2025

"We believe Bo's an excellent hockey player that can help our team win... We're not looking to move him for futures or stuff like that. We want to help our team win hockey games."

Byram is projected by AFP Analytics to command a five-year deal with a $7.1 million AAV.

"The feeling is the sweet spot on (an offer sheet) falls at the $7.02 million mark on the scale," TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston added. "If a deal comes in under that, the compensation would be a 1st- and 3rd-rounder. (If it comes in above that, it's a 1st-, 2nd- and 3rd rounder). The danger in matching (for Buffalo) is that you'd be walking Byram straight to UFA next summer while losing the ability to trade him."

The Sabres would be unable to trade him for 12 months if they matched an offer sheet. And if it's a one-year deal, Byram would become an unrestricted free agent after the season. That's why a trade is the best solution for Buffalo.