Confirmed Trade: [CHI/BUF] Bowen Byram, Jordan Greenway for Louis Crevier, 2026 1st round pick (4th overall), 2026 2nd round pick (45th overall)

[The AntiBob]

Why target Byram when you already have Lev and Rinzel. And for 4th overall..

I don’t get the logic at all.

Byram is a LD, lev and rinzel are RD, unless they can play their off side

 

[Mattilaus]

Not sure why Buffalo does this as a team that’s supposed to be competing now. A player for player trade sure, but futures?

Because he wasn't going to sign here long term. He wants to be a #1 and get #1 PP time. That ain't happening in Buffalo with Dahlin. So rather than giving him his last RFA year after arb, you trade him now so you can get better value, like the #4 pick.

 

[centipede2233]

I’ve never seen this many people agree on how bad a trade is on these boards.

This is one of those generational trades that brings the hfboards community together!

 

[joepeps]

99% of people here likely still think 4th OA for Knies is too much

I dont think its enough for a unicorn with a great contract

but now he would prob get 4th overall frondell and 1st if this is how the GM is operating lol

 

[The Burdened]

the value is outstanding for Buffalo obviously, but I would be trying to trade the pick for a player now. Contract be damned, Byram was a considerable contributor to that team and wont easily be replaced for next season.

Buffalo are a worse team now than they were this time yesterday.

 

[crashthenet]

Yep, this is a classic here. Prospects being way overrated and actual players underrated.

As he exists today- a 40 point defenseman with some bad defensive habits.

 

[joepeps]

Not sure why Buffalo does this as a team that’s supposed to be competing now. A player for player trade sure, but futures?

they have a hard time signing star players so they always have to get one in the draft... or they can trade the 4th for something

 

[slimey]

Veto !

 

[Phion Keneuf]

Byram is a LD, lev and rinzel are RD, unless they can play their off side

Not about what side. It’s about PP usage.
If they traded that for Power it would’ve made sense to me.

 

[centipede2233]

the value is outstanding for Buffalo obviously, but I would be trying to trade the pick for a player now. Contract be damned, Byram was a considerable contributor to that team and wont easily be replaced for next season.

Buffalo frees up the cap to now resign tuch so in reality they got tuch in the trade

 

[periferal]

FIREABLE. OFFENSE.


Imagine getting worked over by Kekäläinen.


Jesus Davidson.

 

[joepeps]

As he exists today- a 40 point defenseman with some bad defensive habits.

and a 7 x 12.5 mil contract attached to it.. or so was said.. who knows if its true.

 

[DearDiary]

I’ve never seen this many people agree on how bad a trade is on these boards.

Did you miss the Skinner trade?

 

[The Burdened]

Buffalo frees up the cap to now resign tuch so in reality they got tuch in the trade

but what if they fail to re-sign Tuch? Why are you assuming that is a guarantee?

Also they didn't "get Tuch" he already existed on the team. There is a realistic timeline where they may have to replace Byram and Tuch.

 

[biturbo19]

Carels or Reid

Wild to pass that up

Yeah. Pending what Vancouver does...Buffalo could very realistically have their pick of whichever of Carels/Reid/Verhoef/Smits to backfill the loss of Byram in reasonably short order. Or one absolute heck of a trade chip to go out and get themselves a very good "right now" defenceman.


I get that Chicago are kind of flooded with guys that haven't fully established themselves on the back end and probably wanted to go with a guy to help take a step sooner than any of these defencemen in the draft...and the forwards at 4...most likely nobody would would make a ton of sense. But just wild to me...that they wouldn't just take their favourite defenceman at 4, and deal away some of the other guys to clear any sort of "logjam".

 

[Whitesnake]

Dear Hawks fans.....imagine what it could have been....

 

[OkimLom]

Not sure what is wrong with people's reactions on here.


He's a elite #1 D in the making. He was stuck behind Dahlin. 35 even strength points, 22 minutes a night, plays PK, plays PP2. Could potentially be a 70 points guy next year with #1 minutes. Steal for Chicago. Completely overcame his injuries too, two straight 82 games seasons.


30% chance Buffalo drafts someone as good as Byram at #4 at best.

He’s a lower tier #1 guy in a system that pushes towards his strengths and the play is isolated in the offensive zone. When he’s asked to play defense, he very much crumbles his quality of play to a mid tier #3 defenseman.

Did you pull that 30% out of your behind, or did you do the actual math? Because if so, please show your work.

 

[crashthenet]

and a 7 x 12.5 mil contract attached to it.. or so was said.. who knows if its true.

Tough to process that one.

 

[Sabre the Win]

If you would have told me Casey Mittlestadt would return a 4th overall pick, I would tell you your crazy.

 

[periferal]

Is Byram (at 9M/year+) worth more than the best defenseman in this draft...?

 

[Majorityof1]

Not sure why Buffalo does this as a team that’s supposed to be competing now. A player for player trade sure, but futures?

They can flip 4 OA for a player with more term than Byram at a more reasonable cap than the extension he wants.

Or they can draft a really good player and use the cap to help the team by re-signing Tuch. Tuch + Crevier + Chase Reid >>> Byram

 

[Djp]

 

[ManofSteel55]

Top 5 pick and a cap dump for Bowen Byram.

 

[biturbo19]

Crevier is pretty much a throw in.

He's a pretty decent throw-in though. He's not necessarily just some AHL shrapnel...he's enormous, with legitimate NHL potential. Even if that's realistically just a very large bottom-pairing filler.

Relative to the "centerpiece" of a 4th overall pick though...yeah, the other bits are mostly a "throw-in"...it's just kind of wild that the 4th overall apparently still required decent additional "throw-ins" at all.

 

[nickdawg95]

Whoa. I know Byram had a good year and has plenty of draft pedigree to lean on himself...but with his durability issues, the 4th overall pick seems pretty heavy. Crevier and a very high 2nd rounder isn't nothing as ad-ons either.

I figured the Sabres would want to keep Byram and just keep building out the blueline with the step forward they took this year. But i suppose when someone puts an offer like that on the table, you jump on it. You also don't have to worry about overloading your salary structure on the back end so much.

byram doesn't have durability issues. he's played every game for buffalo since being traded here.