It has been an exciting season for the Buffalo Sabres, the first time one could say that since at least the 2022-23 season. The Sabres, as of this writing, hold a Wild Card spot and are within points of being in second place in the Atlantic Division.
There are a few key components, one of them being defenseman Bowen Byram. He signed a two-year bridge contract in the summer but that still didn’t stop speculation from swirling about a potential new home. Since then, Byram has managed to carve out a place for himself as an integral part of the Sabres’ resurgence and will be vital as they push to end their playoff drought.
A Key Component of the Back End Offense
To date, the Sabres are fifth in the NHL with a whopping 133 points from their defensemen. All-world defenseman Rasmus Dahlin is a big part of that. So is the renaissance season Mattias Samuelsson has been having. But Byram is playing a major part as well.
He is currently second among Sabres defensemen with 10 goals, just one shy of the career-high he set in 2023-24, the season he was dealt to Buffalo. His 0.50 points per game pace is also the best of his career for a full season.
Watching the games, it is hard to miss Byram jumping into the rush and making things happen even when his name doesn’t wind up on the stat sheet. He is a fantastic skater, and his numbers would no doubt be much stronger if he got a sniff of the power play. It is hard to ask for more than what he has provided offensively.
Strong Control of Play
More than anything, what jumps out about Byram’s game is how well-rounded he has become defensively. He was never going to be a punishing, physical defenseman, but he has become something much more solid than he was in Colorado.
Related: NHL Morning Recap – February 2, 2026
When paired with Dahlin, the Sabres control more than 57% of the shots and have the second-best Corsi For stat among Sabres defensive pairings. His individual point percentage is higher than names like Roman Josi, Quinn Hughes, Brock Faber, and Gustav Forsling.
Byram may not be a shutdown defender by any measure, but he has shown himself to be a dependable option with or without Dahlin. Every week is a big one for the Sabres and Byram continues to be a major component on both ends of the ice.
Gives the Sabres Flexibility
The Sabres expected their top four to become an asset entering the season, and that has largely happened. Granted, no one saw Samuelsson having the season that he has had, and Michael Kesselring has been all but absent from the lineup with injuries.
A major reason for that is the flexibility that the top four have. All of them are capable of playing with one another, though it obviously stands to reason that whoever pairs with Dahlin has better numbers than they would otherwise.
Depending on what makes the most sense from a matchup standpoint, the Sabres know that they can put the four on the ice throughout the game and match up well. As Kesselring starts to get healthy, it only gives the Sabres more freedom with who they can throw out there.
A Key Part of the Defensive Core
The Sabres are a serious threat to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2010-11 season, and their defensive group is a huge reason. Goaltending has been better than expected, but the defensemen are performing well in their own zone and moving the puck up ice rapidly.
Byram’s bridge deal is probably going to cost the Sabres in the future, but that’s a future problem. Right now, the Sabres are enjoying the results of the trade that brought Byram to town and the positive momentum he has had in his development.
