The Sabres are on the board.
It’s been a hectic week of trades in the NHL, with the Brady Tkachuk blockbuster setting off an impressive run of business just days ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft. Jarmo Kekäläinen got in on the fun, landing a hefty package from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Bowen Byram and Jordan Greenway.
In addition to defenseman Louis Crevier, the Sabres received the fourth overall and 45th overall picks in this week’s draft, bringing their current pick allotment to six selections. This was the second trade of note involving a Sabres defenseman, after Michael Kesselring was packaged with the 27th pick to slide up to pick 20 in Friday’s first round.
The deals create a great deal of flexibility for Kekäläinen, who not only holds a pair of first round picks he can dangle in trade talks, but an additional $10 million in cap space he previously lacked. The return on Byram is impressive. Fourth overall is a premium asset few teams find themselves possessing unless they’ve endured a miserable season. The pick, should the Sabres keep it, puts them in the position to add a high-end prospect who can instantly shift the strength of their prospect pool and long-term outlook.
Bryam himself was selected with a pick previously acquired via trade. Colorado acquired Ottawa’s 2019 first round pick as part of the three-team trade that sent Matt Duchene to the Senators. Ottawa finished dead last that season and only escaped sending the first overall pick to the Avalanche thanks to some lottery luck. Colorado selected Byram and three years later he was a staple on their Cup winning blueline. Ironically, the Avalanche inherited that Senators pick after being dispatched in game seven of the second round.
The Senators received further good fortune the following year when they selected Tim Stutzle third with the pick they received from San Jose in exchange for Erik Karlsson.
This trade is a bit different since neither of the picks noted above were slotted in the top five when each respective trade was made. However, the found money aspect of adding an extra lottery pick shouldn’t be overlooked. Whether the Sabres select Chase Reid, Viggo Björck or another one of the draft’s top prospects, the Sabres will be adding an impact prospect with a shorter path to becoming a contributor than anyone they would have selected at 20 (or 27). Slotting in another lottery-level talent to a solid roster is the sort of luxury that can put a team over the top. While he wasn’t a top-10 pick, how different does Carolina’s roster look without Seth Jarvis? That’s the sort of leverage this creates.
Of course, the other aspect of this trade return is the flexibility it creates in the trade market. Not only do they have an ultra-premium asset in the fourth pick, they have much more freedom to shop the 20th selection without fearing how their pipeline may be affected. Don’t overlook the inclusion of the 45th pick, either. The Sabres were light on picks entering this week and, at least as of Wednesday afternoon, they were one pick shy of a full allotment in this year’s draft. There are dozens of permutations available to Kekäläinen. Packaging the fourth pick, packaging 20, packaging them both. If they pick a forward at four does it make it easier to trade away Noah Östlund or Konsta Helenius? There are plenty of pathways to bringing back NHL talent, which is vital because the Sabres have two massive holes to fill with Byram gone and Alex Tuch heading to Washington.
The wake of the Byram trade has been so jubilant that there is some risk of discounting just what the Sabres lost this week with Byram and Tuch. It’s worth noting that as astonishing as the Byram trade was, it didn’t provide the Sabres any immediate roster improvement. Despite his deficiencies, Byram played a key role for the Sabres last season. He was part of the driving force behind their success and he paired very well with both Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power over the last two years. It’s also possible, if not likely, that he is partner dependent, but the known quantity shouldn’t be completely overlooked. The same goes for Tuch. Replacing the pair won’t be and easy feat and it seems important to highlight the importance of adequately replacing two players who were pivotal pieces for a team that was one goal away from the conference finals.
The Atlantic Division will be competitive enough this year with Florida expected to be back at full health and after adding Tkachuk, it would be much more difficult to secure a playoff position if Byram and Tuch’s spots aren’t filled.
There is an intangible piece to this as well Byram and Tuch’s impact in the locker room has been consistently highlighted as the team turned the corner into a competitor this past season. Greenway played a role in that as well. It’s easy for teams to go overboard when it comes to replacing intangibles and leadership, but there will be a void in leadership in addition to the on-ice impacts that Buffalo will need to manage as they navigate the offseason.
All of the work that lays ahead of Kekäläinen is daunting but it is also extremely exciting. There hasn’t been an offseason filled with these kinds of rumors since 2015. The pieces are in place for Kekäläinen to make a significant splash of his own. This Byram trade (and the Tuch sign and trade) requires a second step. Kekäläinen has amassed a fairly hefty stockpile of assets and cap space in a fairly short period of time, now the other shoe needs to drop. How aggressive he gets in replacing his departing veterans will make for a nerve wracking but exciting end to draft week in Buffalo.
Two in the Box 