LA Kings send their 2026 first round pick to the Buffalo Sabres for Bowen Byram
The first trade is the most straight forward and it is the Kings first-round pick in this year's NHL Draft for the defenseman. It makes sense from the Kings perspective because they are in win now mode and might not have time for players to develop to contribute at the NHL level.
However, from the Sabres' perspective, they may not want the first-round pick. It isn't because it isn't a good value, but rather the fact that they are also seemingly in a win-now mode.
While the Kings have been to the playoffs now for four straight years, the Sabres have the longest playoff drought in the NHL. They need NHL-ready players to help them end that streak sooner rather than later.
One other potential issue for the Kings with this trade package is that it creates a bit of a bottleneck on defense unless the decision is made to not bring back Vladislav Gavrikov. Byram is a left-handed defenseman so he would be essentially Gavrikov's replacement, probably on a comparable contract but for a much younger player.