Media reports popped up all over social media on Tuesday evening regarding a developing trade between the Blackhawks and the Sabres, with the primary pieces being Chicago’s No. 4 overall pick in Friday’s draft and Buffalo blue-liner Bowen Byram.
The trade was later confirmed by both teams, with the full package being Byram and veteran forward Jordan Greenway in exchange for that No. 4 overall pick, a 2026 second-round pick and Hawks defenseman Louis Crevier.
trade alert 🔔 pic.twitter.com/ZpL5eOx0cI
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) June 24, 2026
Byram, who turned 25 on June 13, came to the NHL as a No. 4 overall pick of the Colorado Avalanche in the 2019 draft — famously one spot after Chicago took Kirby Dach at No. 3, when all signs had seemed to be pointing towards Byram being the Hawks’ selection that year. Byram debuted for Colorado during the 2020 season and won a Cup with the Avs at the end of the 2021-22 season.
He stayed with Colorado until a March 6, 2024 trade sent him to the Buffalo Sabres for forward Casey Middlestadt (more on that in a bit). This season, he skated in all 82 games, tallying 42 points (11 G, 31 A) with an average ice time of 22:20. During the postseason, Byram appeared in 13 more games with 7 points (4 G, 3 A) and an average ice time of 22:24 that was second only to team captain Rasmus Dahlin at 23:58.
Overall, the prime-aged Byram has appeared in 328 games across six seasons with 152 points (44 G, 108 A) with an average ice time of 21:19. Contract ramifications likely played a part in Buffalo’s desire to move Byram, though, as he’s entering the final year of a contract worth $6.25 million next season and will be an unrestricted free agent next summer who’ll likely command a significant pay raise. Chicago is in a much better position to afford that than Buffalo.
Greenway, who’s 29, is probably more of a throw-in than anything substantial in this deal. The veteran forward appeared in 40 regular season games last season with just six points (1 G, 5 A) and an average ice time of 12:27. He’ll likely contribute on special teams, though, as he finished fourth among Sabres forwards in terms of average shorthanded ice time per game last season.
Byram was also marred by concussion problems earlier in his career, although it’s worth noting he skated in all 82 games in each of the last two seasons. Still, the overwhelming chatter on every corner of the hockey internet this evening is declaring the Hawks as significant losers in this deal. If we use that earlier Byram trade as a barometer, he was dealt for a former No. 8 overall pick in Middlestadt, who was 25 at the time of that deal and was trending towards some sort of middle-six projection while playing in his sixth full season. To acquire the same player — who’ll need a new deal by next summer — Chicago gave up an unused top-five pick, threw in another second-rounder and also departed with one of their own developing players. From this current perspective, it’s nearly impossible to frame this in a positive way for GM Kyle Davidson.
The Blackhawks have landed Byram seven years too late and at a cost that’s at least one top-five pick too high.