Blackhawks & Sabres Blockbuster Sends Bowen Byram To Chicago
It sounds like talks are intensifying between Buffalo and Chicago involving Bowen Byram
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 24, 2026
The Blackhawks have landed a much-needed top-pairing defenseman to lead them out of their rebuild and into the future. But it comes at quite a cost.
In return, the Sabres get a massive haul, landing the No. 4 overall pick in Friday night's NHL Draft as part of the package, along with a second-round pick in the Draft (#45 overall), as well as 6'8" defenseman Louis Crevier. Fourth-liner Jordan Greenway also heads from Buffalo to Chicago.
It's the first Top 5 pick in the NHL Draft to be traded in 18 years.
Byram wants to be a No. 1 D-Man, he'll get that chance in Chicago
The 25-year-old Byram believes, and many observers agree, that he can be a No. 1 D-man in this league, and he showed huge growth this past season. But Rasmus Dahlin is No. 1 on the totem pole in Buffalo, so it's thought that he'd need to move elsewhere to accomplish his goal.
"Bowen Byram is a believer in himself, and he's got this drum beat that says, I can be that guy.', said Frank Seravalli this week. "I think he can, and other teams think he can. Now it's about getting him to a place where he can actually get the opportunity to prove it."
Chicago would certainly be the place. The team is starving for the type of puck-carrying, aggressive, offensive defenseman that Byram has shown he can be.
He's looking for a massive extension worth somewhere in the $10M AAV range, as he heads into the final year of his current contract.
As for Buffalo, losing Byram does leave a big hole on the blueline, but the 6'8" Crevier could help fill that void, as could the potential of landing a solid blueliner with their newfound No. 4 pick in the Draft.
The Sabres also dealt d-man Michael Kesselring last week to San Jose, in order to move up from #27 to #20 in Friday's Draft.
