Byram ready – Bowen Byram says he’s spent a long time preparing for his shot after the Chicago Blackhawks acquired him from the Buffalo Sabres in a Tuesday-night trade that also sent Louis Crevier and two draft picks to Buffalo. Chicago believes he fits its style, age windo
CHICAGO — Bowen Byram got the opportunity he wanted in a place he wanted to go.
He thinks he’s ready.
Byram is stepping into the Chicago Blackhawks’ No. 1 defensive role after being acquired from the Buffalo Sabres in a trade on Tuesday night. Chicago sent the No. 4 and No. 45 selections in the NHL draft and defenceman Louis Crevier to Buffalo for Byram and physical forward Jordan Greenway.
“To be honest, I feel like I’ve just been preparing for an opportunity like this for a long time,” Byram said Wednesday.
Byram, who turned 25 on June 13, posted 11 goals and a career-high 42 points for Buffalo last season. He was part of a defense group that helped the Sabres win the Atlantic Division and earn the franchise’s first playoff appearance since the 2010-11 season.
But his new label comes with a reality he hasn’t lived in yet. Byram has never been the top defenceman on his NHL team. Early in his career with Colorado. he played alongside Cale Makar. and in Buffalo he worked in the same defensive world as Rasmus Dahlin. Another factor sits in the background too: Byram is eligible for free agency after this season. placing him in position for a potentially lucrative extension before he plays his first game for Chicago.
“I think at the end of the day, I can’t get too carried away with anything,” Byram said. “I’ve just got to come in and prove what I can do. I know that I’m confident in myself. You know I feel that. after this move. the Blackhawks are confident in me. so it’s a great feeling to have a team believing in you.”.
Chicago’s offseason decisions also carry a cost. While the top forward prospects likely will be gone by the No. 4 pick on Friday night. the Blackhawks could have used that selection on one of the top defencemen in the draft—though that choice probably wouldn’t have helped the team right away. Crevier, 25, made strides last season, finishing with seven goals and 18 assists in 78 games.
The Blackhawks haven’t reached the postseason since the NHL expanded its playoff format after the 2020 season was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This was just a value that we put on a really. really good young player in Bo that we felt it was advantageous to move on and acquire for our group. ” Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said. “He fits the style of play that we want to play. He fits that the age range that we want to put our players into and have our players grow together within. And so it just made a lot of sense.”.
For the team, there’s also an obvious football-field-sized question mark: how quickly this can help. Davidson said the No. 4 pick also could have played a role in finding help for Connor Bedard on Chicago’s top line. but he’s keeping faith in internal forward options. Roman Kantserov. one of the Blackhawks’ top prospects. is coming over from Russia after agreeing to an entry-level contract in May.
Bedard’s summer is already braced for a major contract situation. He’s also familiar with Byram: the two skated together in the summer in the past, and they played together for Team Canada in the 2024 world championship. The players spoke on the phone on Tuesday.
“We’re just both excited,” Byram said. “I’m super excited to get the opportunity to play with him. Everyone knows how good of a player he is.”
The trade also lands with a personal echo for Byram. His father, Shawn, played for Chicago on Nov. 3, 1991, in the last of his five NHL games. The Blackhawks had a chance to take Byram in the 2019 draft, but they selected Kirby Dach at No. 3 and Byram went to the Avalanche at No. 4. Byram also cheered for Chicago while growing up in western Canada.
“It’s funny how things have kind of come full circle,” he said.
In Chicago, Byram joins a defensive group that the organization is betting will keep rising. It includes Artyom Levshunov, Sam Rinzel and Kevin Korchinski—each first-round draft picks who have experienced growing pains since entering the league. Alex Vlasic is also going into his sixth NHL season.
Byram said he’s ready to share what he’s learned after climbing from the top of the draft to regular minutes on the blue line.
“I don’t think I’ll necessarily try to change the world or anything when I come into the locker room,” Byram said. “Just going to try to be myself. And you know I’m a vocal guy to begin with, so I don’t think that’ll stop in this situation.”
The other half of Chicago’s move is Jordan Greenway. Greenway, 29, recorded a goal and five assists in 40 games with Buffalo last season. Davidson said the six-foot-six Greenway can kill penalties and brings a physical edge to the team’s bottom two lines.
“He’s a really big body that can get in on the forecheck and make life difficult for opposing defenders and that’s something that we wanted to improve,” Davidson said.
Bowen Byram Chicago Blackhawks Buffalo Sabres Jordan Greenway Kyle Davidson Connor Bedard NHL trade Louis Crevier NHL draft No. 4 NHL draft No. 45