The San Jose Sharks will be active this summer and need to upgrade many positions on their roster.
ESPN’s Kevin Weekes is reporting that Buffalo Sabres 23-year-old defenseman Bowen Byram is garnering heavy trade interest throughout the league.
Byram was selected 4th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2019 NHL Draft. 2025 Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar’s success forced the Avalanche’s hand. With a pay raise needed and insufficient space, the Avs opted to trade Byram to the Buffalo Sabres.
Byram is a smooth-skating left-handed defenseman. He’s shown flashes of upper-end offensive production, but is known for his two-way game.
During the past season, Byram scored 38 points (seven goals, 31 assists) in 82 games in what was another disappointing Sabres season. Surprisingly, Byram finished as a career-high plus-11 and averaged 22:42 minutes a night. Buffalo’s goal differential this season was -20.
Similar to the situations surrounding New York Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller, Byram is set to be an RFA with arbitration rights this summer.
As an RFA, Byram’s qualifying offer is set at $4,620,000, meaning any extension he signs will be at minimum that price. Buffalo wants to make moves to help their team immediately, and trading Byram seems to be something they are considering.
Byram & the Sharks are a perfect match on the ice
The San Jose Sharks’ biggest need for the future is on the blue line. At 23 and an established NHLer, Byram fits the timeline for Mike Grier. Cap space for an extension isn’t the issue for the Sharks, as they have the most of any NHL club this summer.
Byram is a Stanley Cup Champion with the Avalanche in 2022. He knows how to win and could help continue to shift the Sharks’ culture into a winning one.
What may hold back the Sharks is Grier’s reluctance to offer maximum-term contracts of seven or eight years. Byram might copy Auston Matthews’ contract style. Instead of taking a long-term deal, he could sign a five-year deal with a high AAV. That would get him a chance to be paid twice.
As far as providing the trade price the Sabres are looking for, the Sharks might struggle. Unlike contending teams looking for upgrades, the Sharks don’t have as many ‘win-now’ type players.
Alexander Wennberg, who was solid last season, will be a 31-year-old UFA following the 2025-26 season. After having a full no-trade clause in 24-25, his contract shifts to a 15-team no-trade list. Buffalo’s lack of success makes them a top candidate to be included.
SJHN’s Sheng Peng does report that, based on what the San Jose Sharks have to offer, trading future assets for a player like Byram or Jason Robertson will be difficult.
“So while futures could be a part of any deal, it’s hard to see them forming the core of potential trades for top-notch acquisitions like 40-goal winger Jason Robertson, almost point-per-game winger J.J. Peterka and top-pairing caliber defensemen like Noah Dobson, Bowen Byram and Samuel Girard,” Peng writes on NBC Sports Bay Area.
Byram’s potential to be a top-pairing defenseman is attractive to the Sharks’ future. It just might be hard to provide what the Sabres are looking for as part of a trade return.
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