The Buffalo Sabres have secured defenseman Bowen Byram with a two-year contract extension worth $6.25 million per season. This agreement will keep him with the team through the 2026-27 season, after which he will become a 26-year-old unrestricted free agent.
Prior to this new deal, Byram was a restricted free agent slated for team-elected salary arbitration. At 24 years old, he was also a subject of trade discussions during the offseason due to the Sabres already having Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power competing for left-side defensive roles. Following the June trade of right winger JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth, some experts speculated that Byram might move into a top-six forward role, but instead, the Sabres and Byram agreed to keep him as a key defender, alongside newcomers Michael Kesselring and Matthias Samuelsson.
Byram recently completed his first full season with the Sabres, tallying seven goals and a career-high 38 points over 82 games. He was one of nine Sabres with a positive plus-minus rating, finishing at plus-11 while averaging 22:42 of ice time.
Signed with a $3.85 million cap hit, Byram came to Buffalo in 2023 after being traded by the Colorado Avalanche, where he had spent part of four seasons and was part of the Stanley Cup-winning team in 2022. The Avalanche exchanged him for Casey Mittelstadt ahead of the 2024 NHL trade deadline.
Now entering his sixth NHL season, Byram has played in more than 250 regular and postseason games, accumulating 33 goals and 110 points in 246 regular-season contests, along with 12 assists in 27 playoff games.
According to Puckpedia, the Sabres currently have around $7.39 million in salary cap space, with defenseman Connor Timmins and goalie Devon Levi still as restricted free agents pending arbitration filings.
Among RFAs, Byram ranks as the second-highest scoring defenseman who remains unsigned, trailing only New Jersey Devils’ Luke Hughes, who has 44 points, and ahead of Seattle Kraken’s Riker Evans with 25 points.
Fan Take: This extension solidifies the Sabres’ defensive core by keeping a young, dynamic player who has shown steady growth and the ability to contribute offensively. For hockey fans, it signals Buffalo’s commitment to building a competitive roster and developing homegrown talent, which could lead to exciting seasons ahead.
