The Buffalo Sabres announced on Tuesday morning that they had extended defenceman Bowen Byram to a two-year, $12.5 million contract extension, one that carries a $6.25 million average annual value (AAV).

When Byram passed on his opportunity to go to arbitrations, the Sabres extended their right to do so. This allowed Byram to control the term of the contract and whether it would be a one- or two-year deal. However, this did not stop him from exploring his options on the market, as he was still able to sign an offer sheet with another NHL club.

The 24-year-old defenceman evidently decided to stay in Buffalo. Byram strategically chose a two-year term, when he will be 26 and have just completed his seventh year in the NHL, which will walk him right into unrestricted free agency.

Byram was acquired by the Sabres at the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline, when they sent centreman Casey Mittlestadt to the Colorado Avalanche. In his first season in Western New York, Byram scored three goals and six assists for nine points in 18 games, finishing with a minus-one rating.

In his first full season in Buffalo, Byram scored seven goals and 31 assists for 38 points with a plus-11 rating in his first full 82-game season. He also set a career high in ice-time, averaging 22:42 minutes per game. The left-shot defenceman also experimented playing on the right side, pairing up with Sabres Captain Rasmus Dahlin.

The duo played the most time on ice (475:51) of all the Sabres’ defensive pairings, outscoring their opponents 24-14 with the tandem on the ice.

Before the extension, there were reports that the Vancouver Canucks were interested in acquiring Byram’s rights. The interest from the club stems back to his days in Colorado. Donnie & Dhali’s Rick Dhaliwal confirmed on his X/Twitter the Canucks’ interest in the player and why it didn’t work out.