CHICAGO (AP) — Bowen Byram got the opportunity he wanted in a place he wanted to go. He thinks he's ready.
So do the Chicago Blackhawks — and they paid a hefty price because of that belief.
Byram is stepping in as Chicago's No. 1 defenseman after he was acquired in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night. The Blackhawks sent the No. 4 and No. 45 selections in the NHL draft and defenseman Louis Crevier to the Sabres 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 just turned 25 on June 13, had 11 goals and a career-high 42 points for Buffalo last season. He was part of a strong group of defensemen who helped the Sabres to the Atlantic Division title and the franchise's first playoff appearance since the 2010-11 season.
But Byram has never been the top defenseman on his NHL team. He played with Cale Makar in Colorado at the beginning of his career and Rasmus Dahlin in Buffalo. He also is eligible for free agency after this season, putting him in line for a lucrative extension before he suits up for his first game with 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.”
Then there is the cost of the trade. While the top forward prospects likely will be gone by the No. 4 pick on Friday night, Chicago could have used the selection on one of the top defensemen — albeit one that probably wouldn't have been able to help the team for a while. Crevier, 25, also made major strides last season, finishing with seven goals and 18 assists in 78 games.
The Blackhawks haven't made a postseason appearance since the NHL used an expanded 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.”
The No. 4 pick also could have played a role in finding some help for Connor Bedard on the team's top line. While remaining open to another trade, Davidson said he likes the team's internal options at forward. Roman Kantserov, one of the team's top prospects, is coming over from Russia after agreeing to an entry-level contract in May.
Bedard is on his way to a big contract this summer. He has skated with Byram in the summer in the past, and the two played together for Team Canada in the 2024 world championships. 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.”
Byram's 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 opted for Kirby Dach at No. 3 and Byram went to the Avalanche at No. 4.
Byram also cheered for the Blackhawks while growing up in western Canada.
“It’s funny how things have kind of come full circle,” he said.
Byram joins a group of promising young defensemen in Chicago that includes Artyom Levshunov, Sam Rinzel and Kevin Korchinski — all first-round draft picks who have experienced some growing pains since coming into the league. The Blackhawks also have Alex Vlasic going into his sixth NHL season.
Byram said he is ready to share what he has learned on the road 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.”
Greenway, 29, had a goal and five assists in 40 games with the Sabres last season. Davidson said the 6-foot-6 Greenway can kill penalties, and he brings a physical element 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.
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