Calgary Flames continuing to show trade interest in Bowen Byram
The Calgary Flames remain interested in taking a big swing, but are being very careful in their approach.
The Flames were reported to have shown trade interest in K’Andre Miller earlier this week, prior to the 25-year-old being traded from the New York Rangers to the Carolina Hurricanes. Now, GM Craig Conroy and his staff seem to have shifted their focus to a new left-shot target.
The Flames are one of several teams said to be in on Bowen Byram, who is almost undoubtedly going to be traded by the Buffalo Sabres before the start of the 2025-26 season.
Byram, who was selected fourth overall in the 2019 draft, has all the tools to become a top-pairing defenceman and is coming off a season that saw him post a career-high 38 points.
With Byram, the raw talent is all there. He is solid at both ends of the ice, is a fantastic skater, and has decent size at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds. The issue, however, is that he has yet to reach what appears to be a very high ceiling.
That is what makes acquiring Byram so difficult. Currently an RFA, he is set to command huge money on his next contract. In fact, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman believes that if a team were to get him on an offer sheet, it may come at a cap hit as high as $10 million.
A $10M-$12M one year offer sheet for Bo Byram slow roasting? Kevyn, will you trade him or match the offer sheet? ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/LnnBxU1xDG
— SabresBuzz (@SabresBuzz) July 2, 2025
Meanwhile, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period has reported that on a long-term extension, Byram is seeking a salary of at least $9 million. That’s a steep price for a player who still has areas of his game to improve. He’s also had a fairly extensive history of head injuries, making a long-term extension all the more concerning.
While the Flames’ interest in Byram makes plenty of sense given their weakness on the left side, fans shouldn’t expect Conroy to make a move for him should his demands continue to be this high.