Bowen Byram hints at an exit from the Sabres, and these teams are thrilled

The future just got murkier for Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram, who is likely exploring his options around the league after choosing to forgo arbitration with his team this summer. But the Sabres decided to elect for arbitration, making things even more complicated.

The NHL announced the list of restricted free agents (RFAs) who filed for arbitration Saturday, which is usually a good indication that a player intends to re-sign with their current team. Typically, the sides simply cannot agree on the terms of a new contract, so an independent arbitrator will be brought in later this summer to try and award a fair deal for both parties.

Byram was notably missing from the NHL's list, meaning he must sacrifice some of his leverage in contract negotiations with the Sabres. Buffalo did however elect for arbitration on their end of things on Sunday, so Byram can pick the term on the contract he is awarded by an independent third party. That means he can choose a one- or two-year deal, leaving the door open for a trade later on.

The door is not entirely closed yet but since both sides have not been able to reach an agreement to this point, it's not looking particularly optimistic that he does remain in the long-term.

Sabres GM Kevyn Adams was pretty upfront previously that he would match any offer sheet he received for Byram, but with that possibility off the table now, Adams said he would also be willing to hear trade offers for the defenseman. With those things in mind, it would appear the most lilkely outcome here is that Byram is traded to another team.

"We've maintained the same position that if there's a deal out there [for Byram] that makes sense for us that we think is going to improve our roster, we're open to it. "

Sabres GM Kevyn Adams

Potential destinations for Bowen Byram

The St. Louis Blues are at the forefront of the conversation to land Byram at this point, according to Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic. That would be a great fit for both sides, based on the needs of the Blues and the role that Byram would play in their lineup.

St. Louis is looking for another young, offensive, puck-moving defenseman to offer depth behind the top pairing of Cam Fowler and Colton Parayko. Four of the team's six regular NHLers on the blue line are 32 or older, so adding another 24-year-old to go with Philip Broberg woud set the Blues up for a bright future on the back end.

The Calgary Flames are also in the mix to land Byram, per TSN's Darren Dreger. That would certainly improve the Flames' offseason report card, which has not looked great based on their quiet summer to this point. If top D-man Rasmus Andersson truly is on the move as rumors would suggest, then a huge hole is opening up on the blue line that Byram could fill. We could even see the two teams swap their best defenseman in a deal.

The Los Angeles Kings and GM Ken Holland could continue a busy offseason by targeting Byram. With Vladislav Gavrikov leaving LA to go to the New York Rangers, and the only replacements brought in being two second-pairing options in Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci, Byram would have a serious chance to become a top-pairing guy for the Kings.

The Vegas Golden Knights are the final team being tossed around in trade rumors, especially now that a spot has opened up in Alex Pietrangelo's absence due to his major surgery that may end his NHL career for good. The only problem is that the Mitch Marner contract is hoging a lot of cap space, and the Golden Knights' trade options are limited when it comes to opening enough space to give Byram his desired salary.

Byram will certainly be garnering tons of interest as a skilled offensive-minded defender, and teams will be keeping a close eye on him to propose a potential deal in the coming months.