Trade Cost for Bowen Byram Discussed by Elliotte Friedman: The Penguins Have a Tough Decision to Make

Trade chatter in the NHL hasn't slowed down at all during the first week of NHL free agency, and with many names out there potentially on the move, it's going to be like this until training camp at least.

The hottest name on the market remains RFA Bowen Byram, who has interest both as a trade piece or as an offer sheet, and according to reports, the latter is becoming a genuine option.

Now, Elliotte Friedman has opened up on what the cost would be to acquire Byram via offer sheet, and unsurprisingly, it's going to cost a lot, as he projected that an offer would be $9 million per year for the 24-year old.

What that means is that an offer sheet would cost a team a first, second and third round pick, meaning that for Pittsburgh, the cost may not quite be worth it, as it would mean giving up their potential ticket to the Gavin McKenna lottery in 2026.

While Byram is young and could potentially grow with the Penguins for a long time to come, especially with their need for stars on the left side of their defense, but at that price, it likely wouldn't be worth it for Kyle Dubas.

Ultimately, someone is going to give the Sabres and Byram what they're looking for in a potential trade or with an offer sheet, but given where Pittsburgh are in the building of this current squad, it's safe to say that the team shouldn't be giving away key assets like three picks for a player such as Byram.