Business never stops when you are the Toronto Maple Leafs. The team has added new players to its roster while providing extensions to young talent, such as Nick Robertson and William Villeneuve. Ideally, they would like to add a top-six forward and another puck-moving defenseman on their backend.
Heavy has proposed a trade that would see the Maple Leafs do just that – acquire the services of Bowen Byram.
Maple Leafs Acquire:
- Bowen Byram ($6.25 million)
Sabres Acquire:
- Brandon Carlo ($3.485 million)
- Nick Robertson ($1.825 million)
- Calle Jarnkrok ($2.1 million)
This proposal would be a massive deal for both clubs. Byram is the young, puck-moving defender that the team desires. Brandon Carlo immediately fills in on the Buffalo Sabres‘ top pairing with Rasmus Dahlin. The Sabres also receive two forwards who can play in their middle-six.
This trade proposal sees the Maple Leafs acquire Byram. The 24-year-old was initially drafted fourth overall in 2019 by the Colorado Avalanche. The 6-foot-1, 205 lb blueliner is barely scratching the surface of his potential with only 246 career NHL games under his belt. Last year, he scored 38 points in 82 games while averaging 22:42 in ice time.
In return, the Sabres pick up Robertson. Also drafted in 2019, the 23-year-old was selected 53rd overall. The 5-foot-9, 178 lb forward only recorded 22 points in 69 games last year, with an additional two points in three playoff games.
Bowen Byram Would Improve the Maple Leafs’ Puck-Moving Abilities
NHL analyst and insider, James Mirtle, reports that the Maple Leafs want to give their defense group a boost by adding more skill.
“The other thing is the Leafs have six pretty solid established NHL D right now in Chris Tanev, Jake McCabe, Morgan Rielly, Carlo, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Simon Benoit,” Mirtle wrote for The Athletic on September 2, 2025. “They’d like to somehow get another puck mover back there, which would mean moving one of the more defensive types out.”
And Mirtle mentions Carlo, 28, by name. The 6-foot-5, 220 lb defender spent most of his career with the team that drafted him, the Boston Bruins, before being traded to the Maple Leafs on March 7, 2025. In the 2024-25 season, he recorded 12 points in 83 games while playing 18:53 per game.
Byram Might Be Traded & Maple Leafs’ Forwards Have More Opportunity
NHL insider David Pagnotta believes that Byram might still get traded, despite signing a new contract earlier in the summer.
“Even with a new 2-year contract under his belt, Bowen Byram remains a prime candidate for the Sabres to move at some point this off-season,” Pagnotta wrote on July 22, 2025. “It’s unclear what they are looking for, at this stage, but Buffalo’s desire is to add a top-six forward.”
Could Robertson or Calle Jarnkrok be a top-six forward for the Sabres? It’s possible. Both players can play up and down the lineup. A genuine opportunity is exactly what Robertson needs to solidify himself as an NHL regular. He has a much better chance at doing that in Buffalo instead of Toronto.
The six Sabres forwards with the most ice time (that are still on the team) from last year are: Alex Tuch, Tage Thompson, Josh Norris, Ryan McLeod, Jason Zucker, and Jordan Greenway. That’s not the deepest top-six in the NHL by any stretch. That presents a fantastic opportunity for both Robertson and Jarnkrok to show that they have what it takes to fit in at the top of the food chain.
Regardless of whether this type of deal transpires between these two teams, it makes sense and should be explored.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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