Blackhawks Acquire Bowen Byram In Blockbuster Trade With Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres have traded defenseman Bowen Byram, along with winger Jordan Greenway, to the Chicago Blackhawks for the fourth-overall pick in this year’s draft, along with the 45th pick and right-shot defenseman Louis Crevier.

It’s another blockbuster in a series of trades that keep coming in the NHL.

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The Blackhawks feel that they have the right pieces in place in their forward group, along with Spencer Knight in goal, but their defense leaves something to be desired. Chicago’s blueline is a young group that is still coming into its own, but some veteran experience could be an asset. New Blackhawks defenseman Bowen Byram is only 25, but he’ll be entering his seventh season and already has a Stanley Cup ring.

Byram has been a constant name in trade talks, despite being a valuable member of the Sabres blueline. With the salary cap being a bit of a concern and a potential lucrative contract extension coming his way, the Sabres finally completed a trade for the offensive defenseman. With the Blackhawks trying everything last season to kickstart their powerplay, it looks like Byram is Kyle Davidson’s answer.

The fourth-overall pick seems like a steep price to pay for Byram, but when Kyle Davidson saw a need that needed to be filled for his team, he took the chance to grab a power-play quarterback. With the fourth-overall pick, the Sabres get a chance to take one of the top defensemen available. Byram will get a chance to be a No. 1 and the Blackhawks will shift their focus to getting him signed to an extension.

For Buffalo, they move a piece was going to want a monster contract but wasn’t likely to be a No.1 guy with Rasmus Dahlin on the roster. They’ll take the pick and have Crevier filling in as a depth piece in the interim.

With Byram’s cap hit off the books and no chance of a lucrative extension, it could be time for Jarmo Kekalainen to circle back and try to keep Alex Tuch on the roster. Matthew Fairburn and Scott Powers of The Athletic write, “Acquiring the No. 4 pick is a great haul for the Sabres and creates some intrigue at the top of the draft for the hosts. After making the playoffs, the Sabres are entering a window of contention, so that pick could be in play as part of another deal.” They add, “There is still a lot for the Sabres to sort out this offseason. Alex Tuch is unsigned, and it looks likely that he will at least test unrestricted free agency on July 1. If the Sabres are trying to replace Tuch and Byram, the No. 4 pick is a significant piece of trade currency.”

The Sabres are hoping not to take a step back next season after breaking their playoff drought, and they might believe that freeing up some cap space with a Byram trade would be the easiest path to upgrading their roster while not losing too much of what made them great in the 2025-26 season.

Next: Blackhawks Open to “Pursuing Players”, Including a Bold Offer Sheet