Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - Monday is the start of Sabres Development Camp in Downtown Buffalo, but there will be little focus on that with NHL Free Agency starting Tuesday at 12 p.m.
Defenseman Bo Byram is the restricted free agent the Sabres need to come up with a solution for.
As general manager Kevyn Adams was talking after the 2025 NHL Draft ended on Saturday, it sounds like it’s possible Byram could still be with the Sabres come opening night. We know he wants a bigger role on the team, and he wants to know exactly what the plan is to get this team to the next step of the playoffs and beyond.
When it comes to the overall trade market so far this offseason, Adams says he has been having daily conversations over the past month with teams, but some of it gets parked when it comes time for the draft.
"For me, is there an opportunity for the market to reset? Like trades teams were looking to make, did they not go through and then there’s a market that? It gets reset after July 1st," said Adams on Saturday.
Specifically about Byram, he was never like JJ Peterka, with having a frown on his face most of the time. The 23-year-old has enjoyed his time in Buffalo, and enjoys his teammates and the city.
"I had a great conversation with Bo 1-on-1, understanding where he’s at. He loves his teammates, he loves being a Sabre, but he also understands that he has this window in his career, and what does that look like with other opportunities," Adams said. "We talked about that, and I’ve had a lot of conversations with [his agent] Darren Ferris. I’ve just been very honest with him, and I understand where he is in his career and is two years from being a UFA [unrestricted free agent].
"It’s not great for me to talk in public about contract negotiations, but what he knows that we like him, we believe in him. We think he makes our team better now and beyond, but if we think there’s a trade that makes sense, we’ll do it."
Now that doesn't mean Byram is definitely being traded this offseason.
"I’m open to doing a longer deal, a shorter deal. I’ve told them that," Adams said. "But what I know about Bo Byram is if he’s back, whether it’s a one-year deal or a two-year deal or an eight-year deal, he’s going to be all-in and try to help us win. That’s what I truly appreciate about Bo. So we’ll get to the right solution, and he understands how we feel about him. He knows we’re willing to do whatever we need to do to try to help our team get better, and we’ve been very transparent both ways. I’m looking forward to engaging with Darren again now that’s the draft is over."
Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff is going to have more of a say in the construction of the roster this season, and he, of course, is being listened to in the room.
"He’s an important voice in the room, and he’s counted on in a lot of different ways, more than just coaching," Adams acknowledged.
There were times last year that Ruff didn’t like the way Connor Clifton was playing. Clifton had way too many turnovers and way too many penalties for a coach that was trying to get the team to cut down on penalties.
As soon as I heard about the trade for Conor Timmins, the first thing I thought was the move being a trade done for Ruff. That should improve the No. 6 defenseman on the team, and steady the third pairing.
"The way I would explain it is I really like 'Cliffy'. Connor Clifton is a really good hockey player, a great teammate. But where we felt Timmins made our team better was he’s a little bit cleaner, in terms of the way he plays, and the puck touches," Adams said. "We just felt for the role that we were looking for in that spot in our D core, Timmins was the better fit. It’s someone we thought could move forward with us for an extended period of time."
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After July 1, Adams needs to get going on trying to get contract extensions done for the likes of Alex Tuch and Michael Kesselring. They both have one season left on their current contracts.
The restricted free agents that need to be signed this offseason and receiving qualifying offers on Monday were Ryan McLeod, Byram, Devon Levi, Timmins, Ryan Jonson and Tyson Kozak. That means Jacob Bernard-Docker, Aleksandr Kisakov, Bennett MacArthur and Tyler Tullio were not qualified and are now unrestricted free agents. Kisakov was a huge disappointment as a second-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.
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