But while Bayreuther was happy to enjoy the attention, he also knew the math. Seattle had to draft 30 players -- 10 more than a gameday lineup, and that's even before free agency and the amateur draft hit -- so there was no guarantee he'd actually end up on the Kraken.
Bayreuther jokes he should have asked his agent for a Seattle jersey to remember the moment, but much more importantly, he ended up without a contract as well. He had looked solid in nine games with the Blue Jackets at the end of the year, but as he talked with the Seattle front office, he was unable to come to terms with the squad.
"They obviously liked me, but they wanted me as a two-way contract guy," Bayreuther said. "They picked, I think, 12 defensemen, and those guys were all pretty good players. I'm not saying I could have made the team or not, but I was a free agent and knew if I came back here, I had a good chance and opportunity to make the team."
Which leads to the second part of the story. Not only did Bayreuther not sign with Seattle, when free agency opened the week after the expansion draft, his biggest suiter was the Blue Jackets, with whom he signed a two-year deal.
Columbus liked his game during his lone season with the squad, as Bayreuther suited up in 14 games with AHL Cleveland, posting a 12 points (three goals, nine assists), notching a goal with the big club in his first return to the NHL since 2018-19, when he made his debut with 19 games with Dallas.
"He caught my eye," said head coach Brad Larsen, who as an assistant last year went out of his way to talk to Bayreuther when the player was sent down to Cleveland to end the season. "I think it was a tough ending, but I watched all the players very closely, and he's a guy that stood out to me in the right way. Every night he gave it, and I think he played within himself. He was assertive on the ice.
"He plays a simple brand of hockey, but I think he plays on his toes. It's not always the prettiest game, but I liked his game. I told him, 'Last year, you caught my eye. Now you have our attention, so come into camp and be ready to go.' "
A native of Concord, N.H., Bayreuther played four seasons at St. Lawrence University from 2014-17, serving as an alternate captain as a senior, before signing with Dallas to begin his NHL career. Those 19 games he played in 2018-19 were the lone NHL minutes he earned with the Stars, though, as he spent most of his Texas tenure playing for the team's AHL affiliate.
Bayreuther, a 27-year-old left-shot defenseman, feels he's ready to take on a full-time NHL role now, though, especially compared to where he was a couple of years ago.
"I thought I finished the season very well last year, and I don't think I've ever wanted anything as bad as to make this team," he said. "I feel like I belong here. I said this last year, but I think I'm a hell of a better player than I was with Dallas. I've learned a lot and cleaned up my game a lot and gotten a lot better."
Perhaps the biggest obstacle for Bayreuther will be simple numbers, as he's on a two-way deal for this season, while eight other CBJ defensemen are on one-way contracts and another (Adam Boqvist) is all but a lock to make the team.
But one of the biggest things that drew Bayreuther to Columbus is the mind-set among the coaching staff and the front office that the best players will play regardless of contract status, and the defenseman said he is going to do everything he can to put that to the test in camp.
"I just know that if I try to put my best foot forward and work my ass off, I can make their jobs tough," he said. "On pencil, I'm probably already sent down, but I want to change that."
