A year and a half ago, the Buffalo Sabres acquired a top defenseman at the trade deadline, but now they must part ways with him as they continue their rebuild after missing the playoffs for the 14th consecutive season in 2024–2025, an NHL record they wish they didn’t hold.

Bowen Byram, 23, is reportedly on the trade block and “generating plenty of interest in the market from multiple clubs exploring a potential trade with Buffalo Sabres for his services,” according to ESPN’s Kevin Weekes.

Three years later, in his second full season, Byram helped Colorado win its third Stanley Cup since moving from Quebec, where they were known as the Nordiques, prior to the 1995–1996 season. The British Columbia native was selected by the Colorado Avalanche as the fourth overall pick in the 2019 NHL entry draft.

Restricted Free Agent Wants Out of Buffalo

Two seasons after that triumph, and shortly after signing a two-year, $7.7 million contract with Colorado, the defenseman described by Die By The Blade writer Kerra Mazzariello as an “elite talent with his smooth and fast skating, puck control, and calm demeanor,” found himself traded to a team that has never won a Stanley Cup in its 56-year existence.

Now, with his contract complete, Byram wants out of Buffalo, at one point last month reportedly packing up his home and disappearing from the city altogether.

The Sabres, on the other hand, are forced to choose between paying Byram, a restricted free agent, or trading him in order to acquire prospects who might be able to finally advance their never-ending reconstruction.

An Original Six team now experiencing its own nine-year playoff drought would present “a good opportunity” for a Byram trade, according to NHL analyst Zach Berta of The Hockey Writers.

“Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman has attempted to bring in aging veterans to mentor his younger players, but the approach hasn’t been successful, wrote Berta. “Now it’s time to switch things up and bring in young players that are just about to enter their prime and that starts with acquiring Byram.”

Why? Because “the Detroit Red Wings need a defenseman. Outside of Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson, their blue line is aging and weak. Luckily, all their contracts expire after the 2025-2026 season, except Seider’s,” according to Berta.

A Swedish Prospect Would Go to Buffalo
It appears like both clubs should be in full-on “try anything” mode right now, despite the Sabres’ reluctance to trade a “potential top pair” defenseman to a divisional opponent.

Berta said that the trade item will return to Buffalo.

The primary asset being transferred to the Sabres would have to be Axel Sandin-Pellikka. Although he has not yet made his NHL debut, he was selected 17th overall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft and is regarded as one of the Red Wings’ best prospects who hopes to join the team the following season, Berta wrote.

The 20-year-old Sandin-Pellikka is native of Gallivare, Sweden, who has played the past two seasons for Skelleftea AIK of the Swedish Hockey League, and two seasons for the Skelleftea junior team before that.

In the 2024-2025 season he came to the U.S. to play two regular season games and three Calder Cup playoff games for the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL.