As the trade market continues to heat up in the lead-up to July 1, here\u2019s a look at the latest chatter from the NHL rumour mill:<\/p>\n
Bowen Byram<\/a> could move on from Sabres in search of a bigger role<\/p>\n The Buffalo Sabres<\/a> are coming off a significant step forward, having ended their lengthy post-season drought and won their first playoff round in two decades. But change might be coming to the Sabres\u2019 promising young roster. According to NHL insider Frank Seravalli, defender Bowen Byram may be seeking a change of address in pursuit of a bigger role.<\/p>\n \u201cThis has nothing to do with money,\u201d Seravalli said on\u00a0a recent episode of\u00a0Frankly Hockey<\/a>. \u201cThis has nothing to do with place \u2014\u00a0Bowen Byram likes Buffalo, he likes his teammates, he likes the trajectory of the Sabres. This has everything to do with opportunity and a continual challenge, as I understand it, that exists within Bowen Byram. He sees himself as a No. 1 defenceman in the NHL, and watching him in these playoffs, it\u2019s hard to argue that that\u2019s not the case.\u201d<\/p>\n The 25-year-old blue-liner is heading into the second season of a\u00a0two-year, $12.5-million pact he inked in Buffalo in 2025. He\u2019s fresh off putting up a career-best 42 points for the Sabres in 2025-26. Byram spent four years in Colorado \u2014 winning a Stanley Cup with the club in 2022 \u2014\u00a0before he was traded to Buffalo in 2024.<\/p>\n As was the case in Colorado, where perennial Norris Trophy nominee Cale Makar leads the blue line, the situation in Buffalo leaves little room for Byram to take the next step.<\/p>\n \u201cBowen Byram is never going to be PP1 for the Buffalo Sabres,\u201d Seravalli said. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t have a path to be the Buffalo Sabres\u2019 No. 1 defenceman. (Rasmus) Dahlin\u2019s there, Owen Power already makes more than him, so you theoretically think that Owen Power is ahead of him in the pecking order potentially as well. \u2026 He thinks he can be\u00a0the guy. And I think that Bowen Byram can be the guy. The only way to do that is to not re-sign in Buffalo when next season ends and he becomes an unrestricted free agent and can go test the market.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAnd the Sabres are sitting here thinking, \u2018Well, if he\u2019s not going to re-sign, then maybe we want to jump ahead and get pieces back that we can work with now, and improve our team in the here and now with such a good player available, that it might make sense to move on.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Hockey fans already know the name, but this is not the blog. From Sportsnet, 32 Thoughts: The Podcast with NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas is a weekly deep dive into the biggest news and interviews from the hockey world.<\/p>\n Latest episode<\/a><\/p>\n Bruins listening to offers for veteran centreman Pavel Zacha<\/a><\/p>\n This summer\u2019s free agent class is plenty light on top-end centres who could swing things for a club looking to find some progress next season. Of the names\u00a0highlighted by Sportsnet\u2019s Luke Fox<\/a>\u00a0in his look at the top UFAs on the market, only one does their work down the middle: Boone Jenner. But the Boston Bruins<\/a> may be throwing another name into the mix.<\/p>\n \u201cIn a market starved for centres, the Bruins are listening on Pavel Zacha, which is an intriguing name to say the least. There\u2019s a big difference between listening and wanting to move him, though,\u201d LeBrun wrote. \u201cMy understanding is that the Bruins\u2019 top priority this summer is to extend Zacha if possible. That can happen as of July 1. He\u2019s got one year left on his deal at a $4.75 million AAV and obviously will be looking for a raise after posting career bests with 30 goals and 65 points this past season.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBut how those talks go will be balanced with whether teams step up in a real way in trade talks.\u201d<\/p>\n The veteran pivot, who spent seven years in New Jersey before being traded to Boston, has a no-trade list allowing him to nix a deal to eight teams, according to LeBrun.<\/p>\n Rumours have swirled around St. Louis Blues<\/a> centre Robert Thomas\u2019s name for months, with the veteran seeming very likely to move at different points over the past year. According to LeBrun and Seravalli, though, Thomas is now off the market and looks set to remain in St. Louis. His teammate Jordan Kyrou, though, is on the board.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Blues explored the trade market aggressively before the March 6 trade deadline, but it never got to the point that they asked him for a list of teams or to waive his no-move clause,\u201d\u00a0LeBrun wrote of Thomas. “Now, with the changeover from Doug Armstrong to Alexander Steen at GM, which will be official July 1, I\u2019ve heard from a few teams that believe Steen has told Thomas that he doesn\u2019t intend to move him.”<\/p>\n Added Seravalli: \u201cTeams have called to ask in the last few days, what is the situation with Robert Thomas, is he available, and they have been told, \u2018No.\u2019 But Jordan Kyrou is very much available.\u201d<\/p>\n Kyrou is heading into Year 4 of an eight-year, $65-million extension he signed back in 2022. The 28-year-old winger, who was drafted by the Blues in 2016, is coming off an 18-goal, 46-point season for St. Louis. A year prior, he put up a dominant 36-goal, 70-point season for the Blues.<\/p>\n Maple Leafs asking for \u2018exorbitant\u2019 return in calls on Matthew Knies<\/a><\/p>\n In\u00a0his latest NHL Buzz piece<\/a>, Sportsnet\u2019s Nick Kypreos reported that the Toronto Maple Leafs are still considering moving winger Matthew Knies. According to Seravalli, interested teams have been told the price for acquiring the young power forward is sky high.<\/p>\n \u201cThe appetite around the league is incredibly strong,\u201d Seravalli\u00a0said<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to find a player with this profile, this size, this productivity, this age, that also is signed to a secure deal for five years at $7.75 million. \u2026 Here\u2019s my understanding of the situation: teams are calling the Toronto Maple Leafs. They know that Matt Knies\u2019 name was out there previously under the old regime leading up into the trade deadline. That didn\u2019t materialize, it didn\u2019t happen, but now teams are calling. The Leafs are not hanging up the phone under John Chayka. They\u2019re entertaining offers.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re willing to talk about Matt Knies. But I\u2019m told from some of the teams that have been in contact with the Toronto Maple Leafs that the price is exorbitant. They feel like the price is incredibly high.\u201d<\/p>\n The 23-year-old winger put up 23 goals and a career-best 66 points for the Maple Leafs last season, and posted a career-high 29 goals a year prior.<\/p>\n![\"32](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/32THOUGHTS_500X500_ICON_V2-500x360.jpg\"){kind=icon}
32 Thoughts: The Podcast<\/p>\n