{"id":719675,"date":"2026-06-06T20:28:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T20:28:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/719675\/"},"modified":"2026-06-06T20:28:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T20:28:08","slug":"sabres-notes-byram-malenstyn-krebs-meloche-pro-hockey-rumors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/719675\/","title":{"rendered":"Sabres Notes: Byram, Malenstyn, Krebs, Meloche \u2013 Pro Hockey Rumors"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram<\/a> is eligible to sign a contract extension as of July 1st when he officially begins the final year of his contract.\u00a0 Inked to a two-year deal after the club filed for arbitration last summer to prevent an offer sheet, the downside to that was that it set the 24-year-old up to hit unrestricted free agency in 2027.<\/p>\n

After a prolonged state of uncertainty with winger Alex Tuch<\/a> who played his walk year without an extension, it appears GM Jarmo Kekalainen is hoping to avoid that this time around.\u00a0 Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic reports<\/a> that the GM met with Byram\u2019s agent, Darren Ferris, at the NHL Combine this week, a discussion that likely conveyed interest in discussing a new deal over the coming weeks.<\/p>\n

Byram had his best season yet in 2025-26, picking up 11 goals and 31 assists while playing in all 82 games, a mark he has now reached for the second straight year.\u00a0 Given his long history with concussions (or concussion-like symptoms), not missing a game in back-to-back seasons is particularly notable.\u00a0 He also logged more than 22 minutes per night of ice time for the second straight year.<\/p>\n

Given his performance and the big jumps coming to the Upper Limit of the salary cap, Byram is going to be in line for a significant increase on his current $6.25MM price tag.\u00a0 AFP Analytics pegs<\/a> a seven-year extension in the $9.5MM range but that might ultimately be on the low end, especially depending on what some of the contracts for unrestricted free agent defenders check in at over the next month or so.<\/p>\n

Staying on the UFA front, Fairburn adds that the team met with the representatives for winger Beck Malenstyn<\/a> this week as he gets set to test the open market for the first time.\u00a0 The 28-year-old has impressed on the fourth line over his two seasons, providing plenty of physicality (including a career-high 282 hits in 2025-26) while taking a regular turn on the penalty kill.\u00a0 Coming off a deal that paid $1.35MM per season, Malenstyn could plausibly double that in free agency.\u00a0 But with only $11.9MM in cap room per PuckPedia<\/a> and others to sign (including Tuch and RFA Zach Benson<\/a>), spending that much on a fourth liner might not be the most advisable route to take.<\/p>\n

Buffalo has another RFA of some significance this summer in center Peyton Krebs<\/a>.\u00a0 Fairburn noted that initial discussions on a new deal started this week though no meaningful progress has been made.\u00a0 Krebs is coming off a career-best 39 points this season and is arbitration-eligible while being owed a $1.45MM qualifying offer.\u00a0 Realistically, he should easily more than double that on his next deal, especially if he\u2019s tendered the qualifying offer that then allows him to file for a hearing.\u00a0 With the tender deadline coming up on June 29th, this will need to be a priority for Kekalainen as if they\u2019re too far apart in talks, a trade or non-tender would become a real possibility.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, on the prospect front, goaltender Samuel Meloche<\/a> was on the move earlier this week as QMJHL Saint John announced<\/a> that they had acquired him.\u00a0 Meloche was a fourth-round pick back in 2025, going 116th overall.\u00a0 The 18-year-old posted a 2.75 GAA and a .897 SV% in 50 games during the regular season with Rouyn-Noranda but was better in the playoffs, putting up marks of 2.52 and .905, respectively.\u00a0 Meloche is committed<\/a> to play for Northeastern University but evidently, he won\u2019t make the jump to the college ranks for another year as a result of this move.<\/p>\n

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