The Buffalo Sabres dealt defenceman Bowen Byram to Chicago, and the Washington Capitals acquired right-winger Jordan Kyrou in a trade with St. Louis on Thursday, keeping the player movement around the NHL spinning ahead of the draft later this week and with free agency on the horizon.
The Sabres’ trade was the most notable as Buffalo also acquired the No. 4 pick in the draft the team is hosting this weekend. Buffalo also acquired third-year defenceman Louis Crevier, who had a career-best 25 points in his first full NHL season, and a second-round draft pick, 46th overall. Chicago also acquired hard-hitting forward Jordan Greenway.
Byram is the key player in a trade made after Buffalo sought to sign the player to long-term contract. Byram had completed the first season of a two-year $12.5 million US deal.
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The 25-year-old had a career-high 42 points and matched a career-high with 11 goals in 82 games in spending much of the season playing alongside captain Rasmus Dahlin as Buffalo’s top defensive pairing. He was part of a deep and talented blue line that contributed to the Sabres winning their first Atlantic Division title and snapping an NHL-record 14-season playoff drought.
With the fourth pick, the Sabres are positioned to land a top prospect in a draft class that’s loaded with highly regarded defencemen. Among the defensive candidates expected to be available at No. 4 are Carson Carels (WHL Prince George), North Dakota’s Keaton Verhoeff and Latvia’s Alberts Smits.
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Washington sent veteran forward Connor McMichael, prospect Milton Gastrin and the 16th pick to St. Louis for the 28-year-old Kyrou, who is under contract for the next five seasons at a salary cap hit of $8.125 million.
Capitals general manager Chris Patrick foreshadowed making a move like this after doing more selling than buying at the deadline in March. Kyrou gives the team another player in his prime to join a core around Tom Wilson, Jakob Chychrun, Dylan Strome, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Aliaksei and Ilya Protas, Ryan Leonard and Logan Thompson and perhaps Alex Ovechkin should he return.
“We believe he is an ideal fit for our team both now and for the long term,” Patrick said. “Jordan is an exceptionally talented and dynamic offensive player who will make an immediate impact on our club. His skill, creativity and ability to generate offence at an elite level will be a tremendous addition to our group.”
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Kyrou had 18 goals and 28 assists in 72 games with St. Louis last season, producing below expectations for someone signed to be a key contributor. He is a three-time 30-goal scorer, reaching that mark consecutively from 2022-23 through 2024-25.
McMichael, 25, had 46 points in 78 games with the Capitals last season.
Gastrin, 19, was the 37th pick in the draft last year. Washington still has the 18th pick Friday night as part of the deal that sent longtime defenseman John Carlson to Anaheim in March.
In another trade Tuesday, the New Jersey Devils sent Simon Nemec and Maxim Tsyplakov to the Calgary Flames for two future conditional first-round picks, as well as No. 35 overall this year and prospect Etienne Morin.
