Buffalo Sabres Make Shocking Decision on Bowen Byram, per Elliotte Friedman

The Buffalo Sabres and Bowen Byram appear headed for a split in the near future, and while an offer sheet is a possibility, many expected him to be traded at some point this off-season.

Now, an offer sheet is officially off the table after a recent move from the Sabres, who have reportedly elected salary arbitration with the young defenseman, another twist in this intriguing tale.

What that means is that the two parties will go to an independent arbitrator who will decide Byram's salary for the upcoming season if negotiations on a new deal between the two parties cannot be agreed upon.

In a further update from Friedman, he reveals because it was the team that elected arbitration, Byram and his agent will decide on the term of the deal, with a two-year deal likely to walk him straight into free agency when he's 26-years of age.

This situation took a turn that nobody in the NHL quite expected, and while there's still a good chance that he's traded this off-season, these negotiations make it less likely than it was in the past few weeks.

Ultimately, the Sabres are looking to get more experience onto this roster, and using Byram as a trade piece is the right thing to do for this organization, but if the relationship wasn't fractured already as a result of all this trade chatter, don't expect an arbitration hearing to make things any better moving forward.