Sabres' Bowen Byram Finding His Offensive Stride - and Lindy Ruff Wants More
BUFFALO - Three minutes into Monday night’s 5-1 win over the Jets, the Sabres gave us a glimpse of the kind of aggressive, up-tempo hockey they’ve been trying to unlock all season - and it started with a defenseman leading the charge.
Jack Quinn flew into the offensive zone with Ryan McLeod and Bowen Byram flanking him. Quinn tried to thread a pass to McLeod cutting through the slot, but the puck missed its mark. No matter - Byram was right there in the left circle, gathered the puck in stride, and snapped it past Eric Comrie for his fourth goal in the last 10 games.
“I’m not sure if he was trying to pass it to me or Ryan,” Byram said after Tuesday’s practice, “but it got to me, and I just tried to get a shot off quickly.”
That quick trigger - and the confidence to jump into the play - is exactly what the Sabres have been hoping to see more consistently from the 24-year-old blueliner. Through 26 games this season, Byram has already found the back of the net five times. That projects to a 16-goal pace over a full campaign - a significant jump from the seven goals he tallied in 82 games last season, and even ahead of the career-high 11 he posted across 73 games split between Buffalo and Colorado in 2023-24.
What’s notable about this recent scoring stretch isn’t just the volume - it’s the location. Every one of Byram’s recent goals has come from in tight, either in the circle or right around the net. He’s not sitting back and waiting for a clean look from the blue line; he’s activating, reading the play, and getting to dangerous spots.
“I feel like I’ve always been comfortable doing it,” Byram said of jumping into the rush. “Just trying to get up when I can and when it’s appropriate to. The forwards have done a good job of getting us D the puck.”
That chemistry between forwards and defensemen has been a focal point for Buffalo’s offense, and Byram’s ability to read when to push the tempo is becoming a real asset. He’s not just joining the play - he’s becoming part of it.
And if he keeps playing with this kind of confidence, the 15-goal mark isn’t out of reach.
“I don’t think anything’s a stretch,” Byram said. “I don’t really think about that stuff.”
His coach, Lindy Ruff, thinks about it - and wants even more. Ruff sees Byram as a key piece in creating offense off the rush, especially when the Sabres need that extra layer of pressure against teams that track back well in transition.
“I think he goes in spurts where he’ll be that wide guy getting up the ice,” Ruff said. “That part is evident.
There are times I’d like to see him a little bit more active where it’s important on the rush. If teams are tracking and they’ve got three back, we need four.
If we don’t have that fourth guy to generate that extra opportunity, he’s the one guy that can get there.”
That fourth-man mentality is something Ruff has emphasized all season - and Byram, with his speed and offensive instincts, is tailor-made for it. When he’s engaged and reading the game well, he can tilt the ice in Buffalo’s favor.
The Sabres head into tonight’s road matchup against the Flyers with a bit of momentum and a growing sense of identity. And if Byram keeps playing with this kind of assertiveness, that identity might just start with a defenseman who’s not afraid to lead the rush - or finish it.