BUFFALO, N.Y. — Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram is back at the center of trade speculation.TSN’s Darren Dreger has reported that multiple teams have inquired about Byram, who just turned 25 and has one year left on his contract before he can become an unrestricted free agent.The last part is why this is a conversation at all. Byram was a valuable piece of the Sabres’ success this season. He had 11 goals and 31 assists while playing over 22 minutes per game. He had seven points in 13 playoff games and logged the same workload.At the end of the season, Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen said he told Byram he wants to sign him to a long-term extension. Kekäläinen views the top-four defensemen as the engine of the team’s success.Last summer, Byram was in a similar spot, eligible to sign an extension with one year left on his deal. He switched agents to Darren Ferris, who has a well-documented history of advising his clients to get to unrestricted free agency. Byram signed a two-year contract worth $6.25 million per year, lining him up to become an unrestricted free agent in 2027 when the NHL’s salary cap will increase once again.AFP Analytics projects a seven-year extension for Byram worth roughly $9.5 million per year. As I wrote after the NHL Scouting Combine, I don’t think that will be enough. Darren Raddysh just got $8.5 million per year on an eight-year deal, which only further helps Byram’s cause.When I asked Byram about what factors he would consider when deciding whether to extend in Buffalo long-term, he mentioned his role in his answer.“I think there’s a ton of things,” Byram said. “First and foremost, I don’t want to lose anymore. I want to be on a good team every year. I want to compete for a Stanley Cup every year. I want to be playing important games every year, and then there’s more personal stuff like where you fit in, what your role is. When I signed my extension last summer, I thought maybe I wouldn’t have to talk about this for a while, but I don’t know. I’m just taking things a day at a time, trying to be a good teammate, work on my game and improve and put myself in the best position possible.”