Sabres Trade Bowen Byram to Blackhawks in Blockbuster Deal – The Hockey Writers – Chicago Blackhawks

Byram, the centerpiece of the deal heading to the Blackhawks, is 25 years old. He was drafted fourth overall in the 2019 Draft by the Colorado Avalanche and eventually won a Stanley Cup with them in 2022. Byram was moved to the Sabres by the Avalanche midway through the 2023-24 season, and in return, the Avalanche got Casey Mittelstadt. Byram had 11 goals and 31 assists, tallying up to 42 points in 82 games this season. Byram had a good playoff run, as well, finishing with seven points after playing in 13 contests, losing to the Montreal Canadiens in overtime in Game 7 in the second round. 

The Sabres getting the Jordan Greenway contract off their books is a big win, considering their current salary cap situation, as he’s scheduled to make a total of $4 million in 2026-27. Greenway is a certified tough guy; no one is going to mess with him out on the ice. This season, Greenway had six points in only 40 games played and had three points throughout the Sabres’ playoff run.   

The only player going back to the Sabres in this trade is Crevier. He is a towering defenseman, standing at 6-foot-8, 228 pounds. He led the Blackhawks defensemen in points with 25 and proved to be a very valuable piece in their organization. He has a long stick with a long reach that will be beneficial on Buffalo’s blue line — he took some genuine strides with the Blackhawks this season. 

The fourth and 45th overall picks going from the Blackhawks to the Sabres is a shocker. At the fourth selection on Friday, Buffalo can expect to have Caleb Malhotra (depending on what the Vancouver Canucks do), Carson Carels, Albert Smits, and Chase Reid, all three of the top defensemen in this draft.

Now, with all of the picks flying around, it’s clear that scouts aren’t high on this draft; on June 22, the Ottawa Senators traded Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers in exchange for the ninth pick, and on June 23, they traded that very ninth pick to the San Jose Sharks for William Eklund. The Sabres would be crazy not to shop around the fourth pick to see if they can fill the void of Alex Tuch, who seems to be on his way out this free agency on July 1. 

As of right now, Chicago definitely overpaid; however, this is more of a wait-and-see deal than anything else. Byram is 25 and can still improve, and this is generally considered a weaker class, so what type of ceiling is Chicago really missing out on? Buffalo will get a great player or prospect either way, and it will give them flexibility into Friday, carrying both the fourth and 20th overall picks while they’re currently in a win-now, asset management mindset. 

Overall, it’s a seller’s market right now, as everyone is buying high. The Blackhawks were put in a difficult situation where they had to do something, and the Sabres capitalized and got a heck of a return because of it. Buffalo’s asset management reigned supreme as they turned Mittelstadt into the fourth overall pick, an incredible job by general manager (GM) Jarmo Kekalainen. Chicago, on the other hand, the first crack in their rebuild might have just crept up.