The Detroit Red Wings could have one young, awesome top-four in 2025-26 if they made a move for Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram, who they'd only need to sign to an offer sheet. Should the Sabres not match that offer sheet, he'd be a Red Wing and join a top four that would include Moritz Seider, Simon Edvinsson, and Albert Johansson.
Ben Chiarot would move to the third pairing here (or Johansson, but why not give the youngster more ice time?) alongside Jacob Bernard-Docker. The move would also let the Red Wings dump either Justin Holl or Erik Gustafsson to.a surefire noncontending team that would only be too happy to eat one of those contracts.
Now, the Wings, should they make a move and sign Byram to an offer sheet, would most likely need to bring him in for a $9 million AAV, meaning they'd need to give up a first, second, and third-round pick in return. And we know by now that Steve Yzerman don't like moving draft picks, so this may be a tough sell.
Bowen Byram would be well worth the compensation for the Red Wings
Some fans would rather roll with the current group and wait on Axel Sandin-Pellikka, who'll stick around in the AHL regardless of what happens this season. You may see him make a cameo appearance, but not much more than that unless injuries to the blue line say otherwise.
But Sandin-Pellikka's an unproven player at the NHL level, and he's barely played in North America. Byram's a proven commodity who showed off his durability last season when he suited up for all 82 games. He finished the season with 38 points, seven goals, and a plus-11 rating. That plus-11 is ridiculous when you consider who he was playing for.
Byram also brings a dose of Stanley Cup experience, and the Red Wings still largely lack this. He's also not afraid to sacrifice the body when needed, and he landed 116 blocks in 2024-25. So, if I'm Yzerman, I'm signing Byram to an offer sheet and daring the Sabres to match it.
Red Wings blue line would hold very, very few question marks with Byram
The third pairing is a glaring hole right now for the Red Wings. While Jacob Bernard-Docker will be a full-timer this season and do a fine job when he gets 15-16 minutes of ice time per night, the opposite end's a migraine waiting to happen. Erik Gustafsson and Justin Holl will hold the team back again unless Yzerman does something to stop the fiasco.
That's where Byram would come in, complete with a $9 million AAV and a trio of draft picks heading to Buffalo. While that's not ideal for the Sabres, who apparently don't want futures (trying hard not to laugh at the moment) and could look to trade Byram, the next question is this: Does Byram want to continue his career in Buffalo?
JJ Peterka was reluctant to stick around, and it's why the Sabres moved him. The same could be the case for Byram, who would've signed a deal by now if he were sold on staying in Buffalo. So, if the Wings signed Byram to an offer sheet, Yzerman would at least force Adams' hand.
Match the offer sheet or don't and settle for futures compensation? I mean, it's not like your team's going anywhere this season, Mr. Adams. And letting a good player like Byram walk puts you one step closer to winning the Gavin McKenna sweepstakes, finally fulfilling an 11-year prophecy to land that generational talent the Sabres missed back in 2015. Unless they lose out on the lottery again...
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