It’s a poorly-kept secret that the Philadelphia Flyers like Bowen Byram, but so do the Vancouver Canucks, who are raring to strike a trade for him first.
The Flyers’ interest in Byram dates back to his time with the Colorado Avalanche before he was dealt to the Buffalo Sabres for Casey Mittelstadt last season.
Byram, 24, was said to be one of the Flyers’ main targets in a potential Cutter Gauthier trade, but, as we now know, ultimately settled on the Anaheim Ducks’ package of Jamie Drysdale and a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
According to multiple reports, the Flyers are still interested in Byram, as well as star Sabres forward J.J. Peterka. The only problem for Philadelphia is that the trade cost is said to be quite high, as will be the next salaries of the two players.
Both players are pending restricted free agents in need of new contracts come July 1, otherwise other NHL teams can sign the standouts to offer sheets.
It would behoove the Sabres, who are in desperate need of change and roster players, to trade Byram and/or Peterka before July 1 to secure NHL talent instead of acquiring only draft capital from prospective offer sheets.
Out West, it’s been rumored that Canucks management has been looking to get Byram in Vancouver since their watch first began, and they have further incentive to acquire the 2019 No. 4 overall pick with captain Quinn Hughes free to leave to join his brothers on the New Jersey Devils in 2027.
The NHL trade market is interesting this summer, to say the least. In one corner, the Flyers, afraid to pay the price necessary for acquiring elite talents, both via trade and in salary. In the other, the Canucks, desperate to keep their elite talents in the building and desperate to be prepared in the event that the elite talents leave.
The stark contrast between these two ideologies could either create a bidding war or end up with one decisive winner at the end of the day.
If the Flyers are serious about hijacking this potential Canucks trade for Bowen Byram, it could mean parting ways with one of their many wingers, like Owen Tippett, Bobby Brink, or Tyson Foerster, or a pending RFA defenseman of their own in Cam York.
It helps that Byram has an elite offensive skillset, as the Flyers ranked 30th in the NHL in points from defensemen last season ahead of only Boston and San Jose.
The Flyers are quickly finding out that, to get, they have to give, especially at the expense of the hungry Canucks. But will they?
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