Between the pending jump in the salary cap over the next few seasons and the fact the Sabres are paying Owen Power $8.35MM, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News believes that blueliner Bowen Byram’s next contract could run past the $9MM range. The 23-year-old has already matched his career high in points, notching 29 through Buffalo’s first 54 games. He’s also averaging more than 23 minutes a night of playing time, a number that would also be a career-best if that holds up down the stretch. Giving Byram that much would have the Sabres spending close to $30MM on their top three defenders but it would also give them plenty of upside at that position for a while. Byram is a pending restricted free agent with salary arbitration eligibility this summer and will be owed a $4.62MM qualifying offer in late June.
Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:
- Earlier this month, the Penguins moved one of their pending unrestricted free agents on the back end when Marcus Pettersson was dealt to Vancouver. They still have another pending UFA blueliner in Matt Grzelcyk. However, Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wonders if the fact that Pettersson is gone and that Grzelcyk has had a bounce-back year could mean that Pittsburgh could consider keeping him around beyond this season if they don’t get a compelling offer for him by the trade deadline. The 31-year-old has 28 points in 57 games and is averaging over 20 minutes a night for the first time which is pretty good value on a one-year, $2.75MM contract signed last summer.
- Larry Brooks of the New York Post suggests (subscription link) that the Rangers might want to consider trading winger Alexis Lafreniere, suggesting Anaheim’s Trevor Zegras as a possible target in a swap that wouldn’t be just one-for-one. Lafreniere got off to a solid start this season, earning himself a seven-year, $52.15MM extension in late October. However, since the contract, he has just 25 points in 48 games, numbers that are decent while he’s still on his entry-level deal but expectations will be higher moving forward. Brooks questions if the 23-year-old will be able to play to his full potential in New York, wondering if a swap of highly touted but underachieving young forwards might be the better way to go.
Anyone not named Crosby, Malkin or Letang and maybe Rust need to be available for the right price. And probably 2 or 3 of them, too.
A UFA mercenary who has only been OK needs to get dealt unless the offers are insulting.
Him and Beauvillier and Nieto should be moved for late round picks.
Those late round picks should not be used on low floor WHL players. Draft the highest upside guys even if the risk of busting is huge looking for a Kaprizov type of pick.
4 nations has proven Sid needs out of pits he’s wasted there now and they need to do a full rebuild to many holes with to much dead money
I have said that about Pittsburgh for a couple of years, But Dubas is smarter than everyone else, He has a plan. Lol.
He’s still on the Shanaplan
Bowen Byram is a gigantic risk at 9 annually, Free agency is a great tool for team’s trying to fill spaces with secondary players.
No way he’s worth 9 mil. 6 maybe but that’s even high
I think a long term contract at any price is a risk with this guy. Great package but is injured way too much. He has a Josh Norris like resume. Great player when healthy and confident.
Zegras’s numbers are worse than Laffy’s, so why make that trade?