Vancouver Canucks like Byram trade to solidify defence: report
One of the top Vancouver Canucks trade targets has been revealed.
According to a new report, the team is interested in Buffalo Sabres defenceman Bowen Byram.
“I still get the sense that Bowen Byram is one of their top targets,” said CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal on theĀ Halford & BroughĀ show.
The former fourth-overall pick is a legitimate top-four left-handed defenceman. He would help satisfy the team’s appetite to add another strong contributor to their backend.
The smooth-skating blueliner has 18 points in 32 games so far this season and 90 points in 196 career contests. Byram is a good puck-mover, something the Canucks lack in their bottom-four defence group.
Byram played a huge role for the Colorado Avalanche when they won the Stanley Cup in 2022. He averaged just shy of 20 minutes per night during that run and had nine points in 20 games. He was also a +15.
The 23-year-old also has a local connection as he played his junior hockey with the Vancouver Giants in the WHL.
Byram is in the final year of a contract which costs $3.85 million against the cap. He’s a restricted free agent next summer and thus still under team control.
It’s been reported that the Sabres and Canucks have engaged in trade talks recently. This season hasn’t gone all that well for either team so far and thus they may be eager to shake things up.
The Canucks have been canvassing the NHL looking for a top-four blueliner. They’ll need to determine what they’re willing to part with and how aggressive they want to be.
“One team told me this week good luck finding a top-four defenceman right now. The prices are high, teams want top prospects,” continued Dhaliwal.
The NHL roster freeze started today and runs until December 28. There are no trades allowed to be made during that time but once we get to 2025, expect the Canucks to be players on the trade market.