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• Updated Jun 24, 2026 at 1:50pm

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ELMONT, NEW YORK - JANUARY 24: Bowen Byram #4 of the Buffalo Sabres in action against the New York Islanders during their game at UBS Arena on January 24, 2026 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

The Chicago Blackhawks made a blockbuster trade yesterday as they acquired Bowen Byram and Jordan Greenway from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for their 4th overall selection in the 2026 draft, 45th pick and Louis Crevier.

This was a massive price for general manager Kyle Davidson to part with in order to land Byram. By all accounts, this trade is an overpayment on Chicago’s end. Buffalo receives a top draft pick they can utilize, mid rounder and a promising young defenseman in Crevier who can help fill the void lost with Byram.

With that said, the Blackhawks get better in the present as a result of this deal. In the current state of the franchise where the pressure is on to ice a winning team with franchise player Connor Bedard, the pressure was on for Davidson to make a major play.

Blackhawks Improve Defense with Byram Addition

Chicago had a young defensive core that struggled last season in what was one of the most inexperienced backends in the league. It was clear that the team needed to target making a substantial upgrade to their defense ahead of next season.

Byram provides them that upgrade. This is a 25 year old defenseman with promise, coming off a strong campaign with Buffalo. Byram recorded 11 goals and 31 assists for 42 points in 82 games this season. He was also productive in the postseason with four goals and three assists in 13 games.

The role for Byram will be increased in Chicago as he will be expected to become a number one defenseman. Byram has often been buried in the rotation on his past teams. He had to fight for ice time with Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power in Buffalo, while Cale Makar and Devon Toews overshadowed him on the Colorado Avalanche.

Byram will have the chance to become the defenseman he was drafted to be when he was selected 4th overall in the 2019 entry draft. This is a player with elite top-pairing upside. The Blackhawks will need Byram to reach that potential for this trade to become worthwhile. He will be plenty motivated as he heads into a contract year with what will likely be a rich contract on the way.

The Stakes Have Been Raised in Chicago

Overall, this Byram trade is an indicator of where Davidson is attempting to take this team. The Blackhawks have been in the middle of a long rebuild for years; the time has come to progress forward in the running order.

While rebuilds take time, Chicago cannot afford to finish in the basement and stack up top draft picks forever. As this team has already made a flurry of high selections in recent drafts, that made this 4th overall pick a tradeable asset for them.

Eventually there needs to be a sense of urgency towards becoming aggressive on the trade market. This team needs established veterans who can help the youth core in moving forward. The rebuilding process has been accelerated with this trade. It will be interesting to see what other moves could be on the horizon from Blackhawks management.