The St. Louis Blues are set on continuing their overhaul this season. On the heels of announcing a new logo, trading a top rookie, and waiving a long-term veteran – the Blues are now aggressively pushing to acquire Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram, per Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic. Rutherford adds that Byram is still a candidate to be offer-sheeted by one of many teams, but St. Louis would not be among those teams. They would have to trade for Byram, since they don’t have the draft capital to match an offer sheet.
Acquiring the former fourth-overall pick would be St. Louis’ biggest move since they kicked off the wave of offer-sheets by acquiring Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg last summer. Byram spent the 2024-25 season closely tied to star Sabres defender Rasmus Dahlin. With his help, Byram was able to reach a career-high 38 points in 82 games – while averaging a career-high 22:42 in ice time each game.
The role in Buffalo was the biggest of Byram’s career, and a hardy step up from the 21 minutes a night he averaged with the Colorado Avalanche in the 2022-23 season. He recorded 24 points in 42 games that year, then followed it up with 29 points in 73 games split between Colorado and Buffalo last season.
Byram has managed an impressive 246 NHL games before the age of 25. He’s managed multiple seasons in top-line roles, on the back of high acclaim in his draft year. And yet, the instinctive offensive-defenseman has yet to manage a season with more than 40 points. He was a glowing defense partner for Dahlin — with the two managing a plus-15 goal differential in their minutes together — but struggled significantly away from the star padding — with a minus-22 goal-differential without Dahlin.
Those marks could spell reason for pessimism around the young defender. But of the many teams interested in striking a deal with Buffalo, the Blues may be the ones with the best role available for Byram. They recently lost their top left-defender in Torey Krug, who missed the entirety of last season with an ankle injury. Broberg admirably filled the top role in Krug’s absence, but only managed 29 points in 68 games on the full season. A move to St. Louis would push Byram into a direct competition with Broberg for top-pair minutes. Byram’s offensive instinct would be what wins him ice time in that battle – though losing out would mean a second-line role next to longtime pro Colton Parayko, while Justin Faulk mans the top role.
The need to lean into more offense could be the spark Byram needs, but landing the trade could be a lofty task for the Blues. They currently hold $625,150 in projected cap space – a number that will rise to just over $7MM when Krug goes on long-term injured reserve. Byram earned a $3.85MM cap hit on his last contract, and could be due double that mark after a year on Dahlin’s hip. That could take St. Louis right up to the salary cap mark, unless they can shed money in a move.
Top-end winger Jordan Kyrou has been rumored to be garnering interest from around the league, and would certainly make sense as the buy-up that Buffalo is looking for in a Byram trade. But Kyrou, 27, has reached the 70 point mark in three of the last four seasons – a streak only interrupted by his 67-point campaign last year. Should he be too rich of an asset to move, the Blues could also bank in on their wealth of high-upside prospects on the wing. They already dealt Zachary Bolduc away for a defense upgrade, and could find a similar move revolving around Jake Neighbours or Dalibor Dvorsky, packaged with additional capital.
Just over a week after claiming that the roster was “set”, Blues general manager has explored multiple ways to shake it up even further. Acquiring Byram would be another big-fish addition to a pond that’s been stocked up over the last two summers. The Blues earned a Wild Card bid last season on a regulation-wins tiebreaker. They scored the most goals of any Western Conference team in the Wild Card race, and could get an even bigger boost should Byram continue his growth through another move.
Photo courtesy of Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports.
“Kicked off the wave of offer sheets”? Did I miss a wave of offer sheets after Broberg and Holloway?
So falut and another roster pick for byram?
Yes no way they give them Kyrou. That was rumored last week. Byram is no where near worth that. Really what’s so impressive with Byram?
Kryou was only cause his no trade hadn’t kicked in now it has so he’s not going anywhere now
Who is falut?
Also, I liked the idea of going after Byram before the offseason, but since the Bolduc trade, I would hate to see another forward traded (unless Buffalo wants Buchvenich I guess…I like Buch but I don’t want to lose another young guy).
There has been a ton of BAD information about Bowen Byram for weeks, But this is what insiders do, They are all just a bunch of click bait entertainers.
You seem very upset by rumors so not sure why you bother coming here other than to cry like a two-year old
Wow, people writing articles are hoping that other people click on them? Nothing gets past you.
Kevyn Adams has already said that the Sabres will match any offer for Byram, And by the way, There are 32 teams pushing for Connor McDavid.
Byram along with Dahlin and a emerging Power gives Buffalo 3 top 4 Dmen that can provide scoring and puck movement.
How is the hockey media so obtuse that when Carolina was supposedly going to offer sheet K’Andre without having the picks nobody seemed to notice but now…
Whatever.
I honestly think the teams rely on the hockey media being a bunch of larks just having a good time. It beats working.
Rutherford specifically said the Blues aren’t going to offer-sheet Byram
Yes, Very true, Elliott Friedman today confirmed the Ehlers signing, But not before several other media outlets, Friedman actually thinks, That what he does is really necessary, And important. More often than not, He’s comical, Especially with how serious he takes himself. All he does on HNIC, Is piss off Kevin Bieksa.
So he doubles as an entertainer :)
Nobody made claims that these guys are special. They have what’s called rapport. It’s a circle of trust and we’re not in it. What would you call someone who’s inside?
I HATE THIS!!! I HATE THE BLUES!!! I LOVE BO BYRAM!!! I HATE THIS SO MUCH!!!
I’m pretty sure Parayko is on the top defensive line and Faulk isn’t. This article seems to imply the opposite of that. This article also seems to forget that the Blues have Cam Fowler.
Now that they have Mailloux, I’m not sure how much the Blues would be willing to give up to acquire someone who will either be a 3rd line defenseman or would push Maillouox or Broberg down to the third line.
Unless there are other trades in the works.
I agree. Foley doesn’t seem to have watched much Blues hockey this year…Parayko eats the most minutes and Fowler was awesome since being acquired mid-season.
My only thought is that Byram plays 3rd pairing and PP minutes this season, with the idea that Fowler either isn’t re-signed after the season or he signs with expectations of a reduced role.
Buffalo also seems to be looking for NHL-ready guys and I’m not sure what the Blues have to offer that makes sense and clears enough Cap Space.
The Blues’ current forward surplus is full of guys that don’t start the conversations. Buffalo doesn’t want Texier, Joseph, Sundqvist, Toropchenko, or Walker unless they are throw-ins. I have to think the Sabres would be asking for at least Dvorsky+, or a higher-level roster player.
As much as I’d love to add Byrum, that cost/benefit doesn’t seem to make a ton of sense for STL.
But Doug Armstrong has a track record of shrewd moves, so I’m not dismissing it.
Byram has 2 years of RFA left. There is no rush for Adams.
Kyrou now has a full no-tradae clause. It kicked in on July 1. Why would he agree to go to the Sabres? Doubt he would have interest in doing that
The Blues would be foolish to part with Kyrou.
I prefer Binninnton, a defensemen & a forward as the main pieces coming back. The rest can be ironed out.
Haha, put the crack pipe down.
Blues dont want to pay up then you are not getting Byram. With Byram off the roster the Sabres need a equal player. Binninnton to me has to be the main piece coming back. The others can be pieces to add to the roster.
You’ll take Torps, and a 2nd rounder before you get Kyrou