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Snapshots: Nugent-Hopkins, Malkin, Marner

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Edmonton Oilers centerman Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is expected to stick in the lineup for Game 6 despite missing Monday’s practice, head coach Kris Knoblauch told Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic. His off-day will instead be chalked up to rest, after Nugent-Hopkins appeared in 20 minutes of action in Game 5.

Nugent-Hopkins appeared in 24 minutes of ice time and scored two points in Edmonton’s 5-4 win over Florida in Game 4. He ranks third on the Oilers’ offense in ice time (19:44) and postseason scoring (20 points in 21 games) behind only Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. It’s the expected pecking order, but Nugent-Hopkins’ role has still been a crucial part of Edmonton’s postseason success. They’ll rest assured knowing he’s expected to appear in a must-win game on Tuesday.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Retirement winds are beginning to blow around Pittsburgh Penguins legend Evgeni Malkin. It remains unclear exactly when the Russian forward is expecting to retire, though sources around the team say Pittsburgh is unlikely to offer him a new contract next summer, per Josh Yohe of The Athletic. Malkin will enter unrestricted free agency after the 2025-26 season after riding out a four-year, $24.4MM contract. He posted the lowest scoring pace of his career this season, with 50 points in 68 games equating to 0.74 points-per-game. That mark surpassed his previous career-low of 0.82 set last season, when he scored 27 goals and 67 points in 82 games. Those numbers are still mighty impressive, and could earn Malkin a few more years even as he slows down. He could also be a candidate to leave the NHL with a few good years left, and finish his playing career in Russia’s KHL. Mettalurg Magnitogorsk continue to hold Malkin’s KHL rights. He previously appeared in 169 games and scored 156 points with the club.
  • Top free agent Mitch Marner may take his time deciding on a new landing spot when the market opens on July 1st, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shared on his latest 32 Thoughts podcast. Friedman adds that Marner could have plans to establish meetings throughout multiple cities before he signs his next deal. Negotiations for Marner’s last contract – a six-year, $65.41MM deal signed in 2019 – notoriously dragged on through September. He posted multiple career-years on the deal, including breaking the century mark for the first time this season with 102 points in 81 games. Marner is likely to rival records with a lengthy and expensive deal this season. Taking time to ensure it’s with the right fit will be a helpful bit of due diligence.

Flames Promote Peter Hanlon To Assistant General Manager

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The Flames are promoting Peter Hanlon to an assistant general manager role, the club announced Monday. He isn’t replacing an existing AGM, instead, he’s augmenting Craig Conroy’s current AGMs in Dave Nonis and Brad Pascall.

Saying the promotion is a long time coming for Hanlon would be an understatement. He’s been with the Flames for nearly three decades, all in the Vice President of Communications role he was hired into in the 1997-98 season. A move from the communications team to the GM suite is unconventional, but Flames’ President of Hockey Operations Dan Maloney emphasized Hanlon’s 30 years of experience in the sport.

Hanlon worked very closely with all levels of the Flames organization in his role, including serving as the liaison between players and media or fans for many years. Now, GM Craig Conry shares Hanlon will focus on all aspects of hockey operations, including player evaluation, recruitment, and strategic planning.

The VP of comms role was just the second front-office job in hockey Hanlon landed in hockey. He’d previously been the Maple Leafs’ AHL team manager between 1991-92 and 1995-96. He joined the Leafs on their two most recent runs to the Eastern Conference Finals in that span, and worked closely with players like Doug Gilmour, Dave Andreychuk, Mats Sundin, and Larry Murphy. Hanlon graduated from that role into a job with the NHL’s central office for a year.

While an assistant general manager role will mark new opportunity, Hanlon’s roots in hockey are plain to see. He’ll assume his new role beginning on July 1st, right as Calgary looks to start spending their wealth of $26.9MM in projected cap space.

Five Key Stories: 6/9/25 – 6/15/25

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With a maximum of just two games remaining in the playoffs, activity around the NHL is set to pick up considerably in the very near future.  In the meantime, there was still some news of note over the past seven days which is recapped in our key stories.

Calling It A Career: After missing all of the 2024-25 season due to a lingering back injury, veteran winger T.J. Oshie has officially announced his retirement at the age of 38.  A first-round pick by St. Louis back in 2005, he spent the first seven years of his career with the Blues before being traded to the Capitals back in 2015.  From there, Oshie became a long-term fixture of Washington’s top six, spending a lot of time on their second line.  Overall, he played in 1,010 career regular season NHL games between the two teams, scoring 302 goals and 393 assists.  Oshie picked up 69 points in 106 playoff contests while winning a Stanley Cup with Washington back in 2018.

Stars Shopping A Star? One of the themes of the week was the potential availability of Stars winger Jason Robertson.  With Dallas having less than $5MM in cap space per PuckPedia with several key players on expiring contracts, there were reports that they were at least exploring what Robertson’s market might look like although going this route is not their preference.  Robertson has had at least 79 points in each of the last four seasons and has one year left on his contract with a $7.75MM price tag.  At this point, GM Jim Nill’s preference is believed to be trying to move more intermediate contracts like Mason Marchment, Mathew Dumba, and Ilya Lyubushkin, incrementally opening up spending flexibility along the way.

Kreider To Anaheim: There was one trade of note in the NHL this week.  The Rangers had been trying to move winger Chris Kreider dating back to early in the season but with their cap situation requiring more flexibility, time was more of the essence.  They were able to find a move for him, sending the veteran along with the 104th pick in the draft to Anaheim for prospect forward Carey Terrance and pick 89.  Kreider had been a key part of New York’s forward group for more than a decade and has reached the 20-goal mark in 10 of the last 11 seasons.  However, with GM Chris Drury wanting to shake up his core group, Kreider’s $6.5MM cap charge (of which the Ducks are picking up in full), and his drop to just 30 points this season, the decision was made to move on from him.

Awards Week: The majority of the end-of-season awards were handed out this week.  First, Montreal defenseman Lane Hutson took home the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie following a 66-point effort that broke multiple franchise records.  Colorado’s Cale Makar won the Norris Trophy after being the first defenseman to reach 30 goals and 90 points in the same season since 1988-89.  Los Angeles center picked up the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy as the league’s most gentlemanly player in a particularly close race over several other contenders.  Then, it was Jets netminder Connor Hellebuyck winning a pair of awards, collecting the Vezina Trophy for being the top goaltender along with the Hart Trophy for the player deemed to be the most valuable player to his team.

Sabres Listening On Peterka: Sabres winger JJ Peterka has always had plenty of suitors but Buffalo had been rejecting those overtures.  However, as his first foray into restricted free agent approaches, it appears the team is now more open to listening to offers for the 23-year-old amidst the belief that Peterka’s preference would be to move on.  He had his second straight 18-point jump this season, tallying 27 goals and 41 assists in 77 games and has established himself as a capable top-six player.  A long-term deal for Peterka this summer could push past the $8MM mark, a price tag that Buffalo can afford to give him but if they do opt to move him, they’ll command a significant price tag to part with his rights as well.

Photo courtesy of Danny Wild-Imagn Images.

Penguins Re-Sign Bokondji Imama To One-Year Contract

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed depth forward Bokondji Imama to a one-year, two-way contract that carries a league-minimum $775K salary at the NHL level. Imama split the 2024-25 season between the NHL and AHL rosters, and appeared in a career-high 16 games with the Pittsburgh lineup.

Imama blazed his style at the top flight this season. After years of establishing himself as a minor-league bruiser, he showed the control needed to maintain that title at the top level – with 30 penalty minutes and a plus-two in his NHL appearances. He also chipped in 47 penalty minutes and a minus-one in 24 AHL games – a modest total relative to seasons past. Imama led the Belleville Senators in PIMs last season, with 115 through 53 appearances. He held the same title with the 2021-22 Tucson Roadrunners, where he racked up a daunting 178 PIMs in 54 games played.

Through eight seasons in the AHL, Imama has averaged just over nine points a year. He’s a low-scoring, low-minutes depth forward with the smooth skating and pest tendencies to continue finding work at a pro level. A one-year deal will keep him in Pittsburgh’s depth charts as the team looks to move into a new era, with a much younger lineup. That fact could earn Imama even more ice time at the NHL level next season, though any minutes are likely to come in an extra-forward role.

Ducks Sign Lucas Pettersson To Entry-Level Contract

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The Anaheim Ducks have signed 2024 second-round draft pick Lucas Pettersson to a three-year, entry-level contract. Pettersson split his season between Sweden’s SHL and HockeyAllsvenskan, and is expected to return to the SHL’s MoDo Hockey next year.

Pettersson had a quiet introduction to the pro flight. He earned a call-up to the SHL after netting eight points in eight games in Sweden’s U20 league – but struggled to find a clear groove in a fourth-line SHL role. Recognizing the struggles following numerous lineup changes, MoDo opted to send Pettersson to the HockeyAllsvenskan (HA) for the entirety of January. Having his feet under him launched Pettersson’s performance. He scored a hat trick in his first game on assignment, then proceeded to net 14 points in 12 HA games throughout January and early February.

Pettersson followed his hot streak in the HA with a quartet of international friendlies with Sweden’s U20 club. He scored three points in the four games, but didn’t stay lit when he returned to league play in mid-February. By the time he rediscovered his pace – with four points in three HA games to end February – MoDo opted to bring the dynamic forward back to the top flight.

When all was said and done, Pettersson ended his season with 19 points in 26 HA games, one assist in 29 SHL games, and eight points in eight J20 (U20) games. His 0.73 point-per-game scoring pace in the HA fell just behind 2025 NHL Draft stars Anton Frondell (0.86) and Victor Eklund (0.74) on the league’s U19 leaderboards. The trio posted the highest scoring paces since Noah Ostlund (0.70, 2022-23), Lucas Elvenes (0.95, 2017-18), and Elias Pettersson (0.95, 2016-17).

Lucas Pettersson earned high-end consideration for much of the 2024 draft season. He earned a second-round bid after posting 27 goals and 57 points in 44 J20 games, though some outlets had him ranked as high as an early-20s talent. He’s a flashy, agile forward with strong puck-skills and sharp offensive instinct. Those traits will need to become consistent and refined as he eyes a move to North America, but another year in the SHL could go far in preparing Pettersson to join an often Swede-friendly Ducks lineup.

Blackhawks Trade Rights To Victor Soderstrom To Bruins

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The Chicago Blackhawks have traded the rights to Swedish defenseman Victor Soderstrom to the Boston Bruins in exchange for defense prospect Ryan Mast and a seventh-round pick, per Scott Powers of The Athletic. Soderstrom made a return to Sweden’s SHL this season, after spending the last four years muddling through the Arizona Coyotes depth chart. Chicago acquired his rights alongside the rights to depth forward Aku Raty and retired defender Shea Weber at the 2025 Trade Deadline. In return, the now-Utah Mammoth received a 2026 fifth-round pick.

It’s an apt time to buy high on Soderstrom’s NHL rights. He had a true breakout year in the SHL, netting nine goals and 37 points in 49 appearances. Those marks ranked Soderstrom second on the Brynas IF blue-line in scoring, two points behind Charle-Edouard D’Astous. Soderstrom had no shortage of flashy plays over the course of Brynas’ season, using deceptive stickhandling and instinctive offense to blow by opponents and set up his teammates. One of his favorite targets was former Anaheim Ducks winger Jakob Silfverberg, who led Brynas in scoring with 47 points in 52 games.

But despite the strong return to Swedish pros, Soderstrom’s tenure in North America is still one to forget. He was originally drafted 11th-overall in the 2019 NHL Draft, but quickly struggled to find a role in the Arizona pipeline. He joined the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners in 2020-21 and scored 10 points in 32 games played, good enough to also earn the first four games of his NHL career, where he potted two points. But Soderstrom then ran cold, and didn’t manage any scoring through 16 NHL appearances in the following year. He did bolster his minor-league scoring, though, with 19 points in 32 games – just enough to earn another trip to the NHL in 2022-23. That tenure proved a bit more promising – headlined by nine points in 30 games – but Soderstrom again struggled to make it stick. He completed two more productive seasons in the minors, but closed his trip through North America with a measly 11 points in 53 NHL games, despite 82 points in 170 AHL games.

A move to Boston will mark another potential home for the flashy puck-handler. The Bruins could sorely use a right-shot defender after trading shutdown man Brandon Carlo to the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Deadline. Soderstrom is still only 24-years-old and could reasonably spend a few more years in Sweden before offering Boston his prime years. That will be the upside Boston hopes for, at least – though it’s a shrewd bet at the cost of just a depth prospect and fifth-round pick.

The other focal piece of the move, defender Ryan Mast, played through his rookie year in the AHL this season. He recorded just five points, 19 penalty minutes, and a plus-seven through 37 games with the Providence Bruins – quaint totals after he posted 16 points in 47 ECHL games last year. Mast is 6-foot-5 and plays his best hockey on the defensive side of the puck, where he uses a long and effective reach to force opponents into the corners and away from the puck. Hot scoring won’t be what many fans remember Mast for, but he could find his way into a small NHL role with a few more years of learning to handle pro offenses. He’ll be a low-risk, low-reward addition to a Blackhawks’ pipeline geared firmly on the future.

Penguins Sign Melvin Fernstrom To Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed forward prospect Melvin Fernstrom to a three-year, entry-level contract. Fernstrom was originally drafted in the third-round of the 2024 NHL Draft by the Vancouver Canucks. He was traded to the Penguins ahead of this year’s Trade Deadline, alongside a first-round pick and two depth pros in the deal that send Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor to Vancouver.

Fernstrom spent the bulk of the 2024-25 season with Orebro HK of Sweden’s SHL. It was his first full year of professional hockey and he dotted it with eight goals and 17 points in 48 appearances. That stat line doesn’t jump off the page, but Fernstrom’s scoring did lead all U19 skaters in the SHL. In fact, his scoring total falls closely in line with current and former NHL fixtures like Magnus Paajarvi, Adrian Kempe, and Alexander Holtz — who all managed either 16 or 17 points in their own U19 seasons in the SHL.

For his part, Fernstrom earned his pro role on the back of responsible and smooth hockey across the board. He’s a strong skater even despite a lanky frame, and uses that to find his spots and weave between his teammates well. When he can’t, he has a laser wrist-shot that’s dangerous anywhere below the tops of the circles. He may not fall into the clear category of playmaker, but showed an abundance of confidence in handling the puck around pro defenders and finding ways to set up his teammates.

Fernstrom recorded 63 points in 45 games in Sweden’s U20 league – and added eight points in seven games at the World U18 Championship – in his draft year last season. That stat line, and his smooth style, led to a confident third-round selection, though some public scouts like Craig Button had him ranked as a second-round talent. Fernstrom was a priority addition to the Pettersson trade, and Pittsburgh will now take the first step in trying to bank on the upside he offers. Fernstrom is expected to return to the SHL next season, but could be a candidate to join the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins when Orebro’s 2025-26 campaign concludes.

Predators’ Jonathan Marchessault Generating Trade Interest

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The Nashville Predators are set for a busy summer. They have multiple first-round picks, over $17MM in projected cap space, and a clear need for some kind of identity after bets on veteran contracts last summer failed to pan out. Nashville could soon find a release valve from one of those contracts, with teams reportedly callinga bout winger Jonathan Marchessault per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. Pagnotta adds that Marchessault has not yet been asked to waive his no-movement clause, and that Nashville doesn’t expect to explore a trade.

The Predators signed Marchessault to a five-year, $27.5MM contract last summer, following the first 40-goal season of his career. But his scoring totals fell back down to Earth this season. He scored just 21 goals and 56 points in 78 games, a modest stat line helped along by 35 assists – the most Marchessault has recorded since the 2021-22 campaign. A 20-goal, 50-point season is an impressive mark for a 34-year-old winger, and a $5.5MM cap hit – but Marchessault struggled to takeover a line as Nashville’s season fell over. That fact, and head coach Andrew Brunette’s insistence on icing his top two lines, led Marchessault to a career-worst minus-29. He was outscored at even-strength 37-to-49, good for a goals-for percentage of just 43 percent.

Marchessault’s numbers don’t come close to being the worst on the Predators’, and his scoring still placed him second on the team and three points ahead of future Hall-of-Famer Steven Stamkos. But his stat line did highlight the shaky ground he walked with the Predators. Just two seasons after winning the 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy and Stanley Cup, Marchessault found himself struggling to lift up a defeated roster. It’s likely that sentiment that teams around the league are recognizing – and with the salary cap rising a record $7.5MM next season, his price tag could be easily budgeted for.

It’s no secret that Marchessault is among the best playoff performers. He was a major contributor to all six of Vegas’ postseason runs, and potted a team-leading 13 goals in 22 games of their 2023 Cup win. Marchessault comes to life in summer hockey, with an impressive ability to stay hot from game-to-game. He recorded 36 goals, 75 points, and a plus-36 in 95 playoff games with the Golden Knights, dating back to their first postseason in 2018. Those performances and a manageable cap hit could make him a tremendous value for teams struggling to break their glass ceilings in the postseason – groups like the Dallas Stars, Carolina Hurricanes, and Toronto Maple Leafs. Even a reunion with Vegas could make sense, after the team  managed the second-lowest goals-per-game in the Western Conference this postseason.

His strong contributions have carried over to the regular season as well. Prior to this year, Marchessault had either scored or paced for at least 25 goals in all eight of the full seasons of his NHL career. He made a statement with 27 goals, 48 assists, and 75 points in 77 games of Vegas’ inaugural season, then showed he could still flash with 42 goals and 69 points in 82 games last year. It’s an impressive bout of longevity, though age will seemingly catch up to him sooner or later. He’s entering his age-35 season, and that could drive down his value even despite high goal-scoring upside. Those will be the factors that teams try to balance as they look to convince Nashville to sell their veterans and add $5MM more to their cap space.

These Players Are The Best Value In The NHL

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A few weeks ago, we took a look at some of the worst-valued contracts in the NHL, and now today, we will do the opposite and look at some of the players that are giving the best value to their team in terms of performance compared to cap hit. For this, we will not utilize any players currently playing under an entry-level contract. We will only consider players playing under an agreement signed after their ELC has expired.

We begin in New Jersey with forward Stefan Noesen, who played last season under the first year of a three-year $8.25MM contract he signed as a free agent last summer. The 32-year-old journeyman did not have a perfect first year in his return to the Devils, but he did post over 20 goals for the first time in his career and was highly effective on the power play. His even-strength numbers were also good, and he set a career-high in hits with 152. Noesen played more than he ever has in an NHL jersey and was probably asked to do too much sometimes, leading to incredibly high turnover numbers (73 turnovers in 78 games). Overall, it’s not a bad return for a player making just $2.75MM per season.

Sticking in the Metropolitan Division, we move to Washington center Dylan Strome, who just completed a career year with 29 goals and 53 assists in 82 games. The 28-year-old was non-tendered by the Chicago Blackhawks in the summer of 2022, a move that has been a disaster for Chicago, given that the 2015 third-overall pick has developed into a top-six scoring center. Washington was happy to scoop up Strome on a one-year deal for $3.5MM, then extended him a short time later to a five-year, $25MM contract.

In the first two years of that deal, Strome has not missed a game and has averaged 28 goals and 46 assists while playing 17:40, which is not bad for $5MM annually. With three years left on that deal, it’s not impossible to imagine Strome replicating his production in the future, and there is an outside chance he will find another gear. Washington has Strome locked in for three more years and should be able to extract more value from him going forward.

Next up is defenseman Jaccob Slavin of the Carolina Hurricanes. Slavin’s game is somewhat unheralded, given that he is one of the top defensive defensemen in the NHL. Slavin was extended last July and will go into the first year of that eight-year deal in the fall. The contract is heavily loaded with signing bonuses, and the 31-year-old will carry an AAV of $6.395MM.

As good as Slavin has been defensively, his deal has a risk if the aging curve is not kind to him, which often isn’t with more defensively minded players. However, for at least next year, he will be underpaid for his elite work in Carolina’s defensive zone, and it should be a while before his game starts to slip dramatically.

Switching over to the Western Conference, Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey’s contract has been of incredible value to the team. The 30-year-old just completed his fifth year of the deal, and he has been unbelievable for Winnipeg, particularly in the past three years, where he has averaged over 24 minutes of ice time per game and has garnered Norris Trophy consideration every year.

Morrissey is making just $6.25MM against the cap, and with three years left on the contract, he will likely finish his deal just as his age begins to affect his production. He has remained a solid two-way defenseman who found another level offensively; that said, his offensive production has fallen a bit in the past two seasons, but he still produces points at a much higher level than when he initially signed his eight-year extension. The contract is a steal.

Next, we begin to get into some of the more obvious candidates, and it starts with Cale Makar, who just posted a career year offensively with 30 goals and 62 assists in 80 games. Aside from being elite offensively, Makar has developed a sneaky defensive side to a game that relies on his terrific skating and positional awareness. Makar is making $9MM annually for another two seasons and will be eligible for an extension next summer. Until he signs a new deal, Makar should continue to comfortably outperform his contract, which is saying something for someone making the kind of money he is.

Remaining in the West, we look at the best player in the world. Connor McDavid was once the highest-paid player in the NHL, but will enter next season possibly as low as fifth. That shouldn’t last long, though, as McDavid is eligible to sign an extension this summer and will most likely be the top-paid player in the game again in 2026-27 when his new deal kicks in. McDavid will carry a $12.5MM cap hit into next season and should considerably outperform it, given that he has posted 100 points in every season except for his rookie season (in which he was injured for nearly half of it) and the 2019-20 season (which was shortened due to the pandemic).

McDavid remains the best in the world, and if he indeed signs in Edmonton, he will top Leon Draisaitl’s $14MM AAV. McDavid has stated publicly that his first desire is to win, which, if true, means he will likely leave money on the table. However, if it does go for a significant number, it’s not impossible to imagine him getting close to the $20MM annual figure.

Moving back to the Eastern Conference and Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov. The soon-to-be 32-year-old has registered three straight 100-point seasons and has picked up plenty of hardware along the way, including back-to-back Art Ross Trophies in the last two years. Kucherov has two years left on his contract with a cap hit of $9.5MM and should have plenty of good production left in him as he moves into his mid-30s. Kucherov’s eight-year $76MM contract has been a massive steal for Tampa Bay as Kucherov has done nothing but win cups and pick-up awards during this run.

Next, we have a pair of Hughes brothers, defenseman Quinn Hughes and forward Jack Hughes. Quinn is entering the second-to-last season of his contract, and at $ 7.85MM, he has been a massive bargain for the Vancouver Canucks. Quinn will hit free agency at 27 years old and should finally get a contract much closer to the value he is producing on the ice. In the meantime, Vancouver should continue to see incredible value from last year’s Norris Trophy winner for top defenseman in the NHL.

Vancouver could face an issue in talking extension with Hughes because he has expressed an interest in playing with his brothers, who are both currently in New Jersey. That takes us to Devils forward Jack, who, like his brother Quinn, has been outplaying his contract for quite some time. Jack has five years left on his contract and is making a tick more at $8MM annually, which should remain an excellent value for the Devils until he is a restricted free agent in 2030. Some might argue that Jack misses too many games, and it’s a fair point to bring up, but given the production on the ice the past three seasons, it’s fair to see that it is one of the best values in the NHL.

Finally, we wrap up with the most outstanding value ever in the NHL: Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby. Despite being the best player in the world for most of his 20-year run in the NHL, Crosby has never carried a cap hit higher than $8.7MM and just re-signed last fall on a two-year deal for the same number. Crosby might be turning 38 in a few months, but at this point in his career, he remains one of the most valuable in the NHL and should continue to put up points for the Penguins even if they stay in a rebuild for the entirety of his two-year deal.

Photo by Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Multiple Teams Interested In Sabres’ Bowen Byram

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The looming NHL Draft has kicked the trade market into its off-season form. Forwards Jason Robertson, Mason Marchment, and Martin Necas have headlined rumors so far. Now, the Buffalo Sabres could offer the top defenseman on the trade market, with NHL.com’s Kevin Weekes reporting that multiple teams are interested in acquiring former Stanley Cup champion Bowen Byram. The Sabres were said to be gauging Byram’s market interest following the end of the regular season, though the player’s agent walked back those reports a day later.

It seems Byram will have a market if Buffalo indeed tries to move him. He originally joined the Sabres at the 2024 Trade Deadline in a one-for-one swap that sent center Casey Mittelstadt to the Colorado Avalanche. Byram was in the midst of a stout year in Colorado, with 20 points in 55 games. He finished the year off with nine points, and strong all-around play, in 18 games with the Sabres. That performance earned Byram an everyday role in Buffalo’s top-four this season, often spent playing alongside fellow left-shot defender Rasmus Dahlin.

A full season in a top role naturally led Byram to a career-year. He recorded a career-high 31 assists and 38 points while playing in all 82 games of Buffalo’s season – one of only two Sabres to play in every game. His scoring ranked third on Buffalo’s blue line behind Dahlin (68 points) and 2021 first-overall pick Owen Power (40 points). Byram’s year was marred by hot-and-cold play and glaring question marks, but it nonetheless stood out as the first true statement performance for the former fourth-overall pick. He showed he could stand up well to a top role and even hold down the fort as his top-end linemates faced missed games.

Those facts will make the 23-year-old Byram hard to miss. He ranks 41st among active defensemen in career scoring before the age of 24 with 110 points in 246 games. That places him among company like Zach Bogosian (114 P in 352 GP) and Marc-Edouard Vlasic (110 P in 389 GP) – though, on a per-game basis, Byram’s 0.45 P/GP rank 30th between Oliver Ekman-Larsson (0.45, 154 P in 340 GP) and Morgan Rielly (0.44, 171 P in 388 GP).

Signs seem to point towards Byram still sitting as a young defender with sky-high potential, even if he hasn’t found a permanent lineup role just yet. But that sentiment has rung true for many years, despite Byram’s hot-and-cold struggles continuing through a move across the league. In offering Byram in a trade, the Sabres will be banking on a solid year in a top role being enough to increase their return on 2024’s investment. Byram could make plenty of sense for a playoff contender looking to get younger without losing strength – or a young up-and-comer that misses out on top 2025 NHL Draft left-defense prospect Matthew Schaefer, like the San Jose Sharks or Chicago Blackhawks.

The cost of Byram on the open market will be a situation to monitor as the Sabres eye potentially changing their standing in the 2025 draft. They currently select at ninth overall, directly after the Seattle Kraken and before the Anaheim Ducks.

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