The Detroit Red Wings have a clear need on the blue line, and one insider urges them to make a move for a star young defenseman.
NHL insiders Matthew Fairburn and Shayna Goldman of The Athletic urged the Red Wings to trade for Bowen Byram of the Buffalo Sabres.
“Speaking of teams that need help on the left, Detroit is high on that list. The depth seriously lacks behind Simon Edvinsson,” the article read. “Byram would be a real step up from a defensive group that includes Ben Chiarot and Erik Gustafsson. The Red Wings’ defensive woes have been well-documented, and sometimes, along with their red-hot power play, overshadows their even-strength offensive struggles…
“Byram could be a spark from the back end to help the team pick up the pace. Whether he could jump onto the top power-play unit is a question mark. It wouldn’t hurt to take that off Moritz Seider’s plate, considering how much the team leans on him, but that top unit had so much success last season that the team may want to build on. That’s if these teams could find a fitting return — the Red Wings’ NHL-caliber pieces aren’t the most enticing, and the Sabres probably need more than just futures back.”
Byram is a pending RFA after completing his two-year, $7.7 million deal. The offensive defenseman can help run Detroit’s second-unit power play and also fits in with the young core.
Byram is 24 and recorded 7 goals and 31 assists for 38 points in 82 games. He won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022.
Sabres Shopping Byram
Despite Byram being just 24, his name has come up in trade talks.
Byram hasn’t fit in as good as many expected when Buffalo traded for him. With him being a pending RFA, the Sabres are shopping him, according to NHL insider Frank Seravalli of DailyFaceoff.
“So, what’s the plan for Byram in Buffalo? He was eligible for a contract extension 10 months ago, shortly after being acquired from Colorado,” Seravalli wrote. “Yet one didn’t get done. His agent recently refuted a report that said Byram made a trade request. But there is still so much to unpack on Byram and his game. He turns 24 in a few weeks and just completed his first full, 82-game season after injuries had piled up in previous campaigns. That’s a big step.”
Byram played on the Sabres’ top defensive pairing with Rasmus Dahlin, but Buffalo is looking to move him this offseason.
Defense is a Need for Red Wings
Detroit trading for Byram or any defenseman is key for the Red Wings, as upgrading the blue line is a need.
The Red Wings likely enter next season with Moritz Seider, Simon Edvinsson, Albert Johansson, and prospect Axel Sandin-Pellikka taking four of the six defensive spots. Ben Chiarot, Justin Holl, and Erik Gustafsson are all under contract, but could all be moved or bought out.
Regardless, the Red Wings need to add more offense to the blue line, and that is what Byram would do.
Detroit enters the offseason with just over $21.3 million in cap space.
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