Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram is eligible to sign a contract extension as of July 1st when he officially begins the final year of his contract. Inked to a two-year deal after the club filed for arbitration last summer to prevent an offer sheet, the downside to that was that it set the 24-year-old up to hit unrestricted free agency in 2027.
After a prolonged state of uncertainty with winger Alex Tuch who played his walk year without an extension, it appears GM Jarmo Kekalainen is hoping to avoid that this time around. Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic reports that the GM met with Byram’s agent, Darren Ferris, at the NHL Combine this week, a discussion that likely conveyed interest in discussing a new deal over the coming weeks.
Byram had his best season yet in 2025-26, picking up 11 goals and 31 assists while playing in all 82 games, a mark he has now reached for the second straight year. Given his long history with concussions (or concussion-like symptoms), not missing a game in back-to-back seasons is particularly notable. He also logged more than 22 minutes per night of ice time for the second straight year.
Given his performance and the big jumps coming to the Upper Limit of the salary cap, Byram is going to be in line for a significant increase on his current $6.25MM price tag. AFP Analytics pegs a seven-year extension in the $9.5MM range but that might ultimately be on the low end, especially depending on what some of the contracts for unrestricted free agent defenders check in at over the next month or so.
Staying on the UFA front, Fairburn adds that the team met with the representatives for winger Beck Malenstyn this week as he gets set to test the open market for the first time. The 28-year-old has impressed on the fourth line over his two seasons, providing plenty of physicality (including a career-high 282 hits in 2025-26) while taking a regular turn on the penalty kill. Coming off a deal that paid $1.35MM per season, Malenstyn could plausibly double that in free agency. But with only $11.9MM in cap room per PuckPedia and others to sign (including Tuch and RFA Zach Benson), spending that much on a fourth liner might not be the most advisable route to take.
Buffalo has another RFA of some significance this summer in center Peyton Krebs. Fairburn noted that initial discussions on a new deal started this week though no meaningful progress has been made. Krebs is coming off a career-best 39 points this season and is arbitration-eligible while being owed a $1.45MM qualifying offer. Realistically, he should easily more than double that on his next deal, especially if he’s tendered the qualifying offer that then allows him to file for a hearing. With the tender deadline coming up on June 29th, this will need to be a priority for Kekalainen as if they’re too far apart in talks, a trade or non-tender would become a real possibility.
Meanwhile, on the prospect front, goaltender Samuel Meloche was on the move earlier this week as QMJHL Saint John announced that they had acquired him. Meloche was a fourth-round pick back in 2025, going 116th overall. The 18-year-old posted a 2.75 GAA and a .897 SV% in 50 games during the regular season with Rouyn-Noranda but was better in the playoffs, putting up marks of 2.52 and .905, respectively. Meloche is committed to play for Northeastern University but evidently, he won’t make the jump to the college ranks for another year as a result of this move.
Kyle Davidson on line 1 Mister Byram.
Buffalo is facing a challenging financial situation, at the worse possible time for them. This will inevitably lead to the departure of some players obviously. The exact number depends on who they ultimately decide to retain (Alex Tuch being the major domino here), but losses are unavoidable at this point, no matter how they go IMO.
dumping Greenway relieves about $4M but they’ll need to do a little more, i think trading Krebs is the best option as Konsta Helenuis could probably take that role or Benson goes to the top line and Helenuis takes a 2nd line spot
I believe they should allow Alex Tuch to leave because retaining him could ultimately lead to the loss of players like Zach Benson, Peyton Krebs, and others in free agency. Offer sheets are likely to be a significant factor this summer, and there are numerous scenarios to consider in this situation.
If Buffalo thinks they have to deal Byram because they won’t be able to afford him the Hawks should step up. They can immediately double his salary, Make him the #1 D man on the team and give him his choice of Rinzel, Arty or Crevier to pair him with. If Stenberg goes before #4 I would throw that up in the deal because Buffalo could immediately replace him with a younger more affordable model. Hopefully the Hawks can get a deal done without #4, But I’d be tempted to toss it into the kitty if it helps. Solidifies the Hawks back end.
Krebs can go for sure. Tuch isn’t worth more than what he’s currently offered at 9.5 per. 4th liners are what they are. To spend on those 3 more than what they currently are at/being offered now is silly. Last year of the Skinner buyout debacle then they can operate fully with cap.