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

[Blackhawkswincup]

I also like this trade for the Hawks, but I suppose we are the minority here.

I think the masses sort of view the top 6 forward positions to be the Hawks area of need, but with what they have incoming the real need is(was) 1LHD. They needed a defenseman who can step in opening night and play with their other high end young core players right away.

What 1LHD did they acquire? It certaintly isn't the guy we gave up #4, #45 and Crevier for

What has Byram shown to be claimed as a 1LHD? Let alone a top pairing D?

Oh and another year of Bedard playing with crap on horizon because our GM has proven incapable of building an NHL roster

 

[Puckstopper]

What shiny toy has Davidson even had to move on from in the first place? Just trying to create a narrative.

Davidson has spent considerable assets to acquire his vision of a #1 dman, that's what I meant by "shiny new toy". You have to weigh the risk of spending that asset versus the probability of that prospect achieving it. Not go year by year spending all these assets by any means necessary. Korchinski and Lev will never get PP1 with an extended, massively paid Byram now (assuming that an extension is coming). Do they suck and and maybe don't deserve that role? Well that's on Davidson too, he drafted them.

 

[BigDaddyLurch]

That’s what they need though is offense from the back end, and the left side. Maybe he’s the #2/3 when it’s said and done with Levshunov being the real “1”, but he’s miles better offensively than anything the Hawks had on their blueline, and they need to compete opening night and not sit back and wait for guys(like Reid or whoever else they could have drafted at 4OA) to develop.

...overpaying for and then overpaying a 2nd pairing defenseman wasn't the answer, imo, when asset management to fill multiple significant holes matters, especially when you're trying to convince Bedard to stay while providing no one for him to build a line with...

 

[SimpleJack]

Davidson has spent considerable assets to acquire his vision of a #1 dman, that's what I meant by "shiny new toy". You have to weigh the risk of spending that asset versus the probability of that prospect achieving it. Not go year by year spending all these assets by any means necessary. Korchinski and Lev will never get PP1 with an extended, massively paid Byram now (assuming that an extension is coming). Do they suck and and maybe don't deserve that role? Well that's on Davidson too, he drafted them.

Ur acting like he’s moved on from and given up on Levshunov and that’s not the case. But Byram isn’t some raw project like KK/Lev who needs more time to develop(time that we no longer have to just sit back and be mediocre). He’s going to help us out right away. And addresses the lack of offense from the blue line.

 

[CanadianHawks]

Davidson has spent considerable assets to acquire his vision of a #1 dman, that's what I meant by "shiny new toy". You have to weigh the risk of spending that asset versus the probability of that prospect achieving it. Not go year by year spending all these assets by any means necessary. Korchinski and Lev will never get PP1 with an extended, massively paid Byram now (assuming that an extension is coming). Do they suck and and maybe don't deserve that role? Well that's on Davidson too, he drafted them.

Lev will be fine, Korchinski was a bad pick and they rushed him. Just a mess. He will be dealt in the coming weeks.

Davidson will live and die with this D, you are correct. He needs to hit on Lev or Rinzel and the narrative around the Hawks build is completely changed.

 

[Surfer Dude]

reading the earlier post in this thread incl my own, we all thought 4OA by itself was an overpay for the pleasure of making Byram a 12m+ player. Clearly none or few of us are qualified to be the Blackhawks GM

 

[SimpleJack]

...overpaying for and then overpaying a 2nd pairing defenseman wasn't the answer, imo, when asset management to fill multiple significant holes matters, especially when you're trying to convince Bedard to stay while providing no one for him to build a line with...

I think the Hawks aren’t close to being done in terms of trying to get Bedard help, especially after this move signaling their intent to compete ASAP. They still have all of their forward prospects and tons of cap space. Gotta wait and see what else they do now.

 

[Divine]

Nah.. Buffalo can get one of Malhotra or Bjork

Seems unlikely Malhotra is dropping past third at this point.

Bjorck, sure, if they want to reach for him - but most of the d-men are rated higher than him. He is 5'9 after all. Bjorck at 4 would be a reach.

 

[HabsQC]

If you have a top 5 pick, you draft it IMO. Big mistake by Chicago IMO.

 

[TheRumble]

People are really overrating the value of the 4th overall pick here.

Unless they are slam dunk number 1 overalls like Dahlin or Doughty, defensive prospect have the widest gap between floor and ceiling among prospects and they also potentially take the longest to put it together.

4th overall could be:

Noah Hanifin - Solid, dependable, defensive minded dman all the way up to Cale Makar - and that's being generous because there have been plenty of lottery pick defensemen - Zack Bogosian or Luke Schenn, who went top 4-5 in the draft and just became solid third pairing guys. Then you got guys like Werenski who took nine years before putting it together.

Can - assuming he's the best dman available (I don't follow prospects that closely), Chase Reid come in and dominate the league right away? Sure. He might also take a while to bare fruit. He might take as long as a decade or as little as a year. But what is said about him can also be applied to Bowen Byram. Byram's floor is this, There's a reason despite being a deep draft defensively none of the dmen have been mocked to go 1st overall.

 

[TheReelChuckFletcher]

Obviously, there was a massive bidding war for Byram, but holy moly. Apparently, San Jose offered picks 9, 27, and an unknown prospect for Byram. No wonder Chicago's final trade price was so obscene.

 

[SimpleJack]

Lev will be fine, Korchinski was a bad pick and they rushed him. Just a mess. He will be dealt in the coming weeks.

Davidson will live and die with this D, you are correct. He needs to hit on Lev or Rinzel and the narrative around the Hawks build is completely changed.

Definitely lots riding on the duo of Lev/Rinzel. Hawks need at least one of them to take that next step starting immediately this upcoming season. I think Levshunov will.

 

[BigDaddyLurch]

I think the Hawks aren’t close to being done in terms of trying to get Bedard help, especially after this move signaling their intent to compete ASAP. They still have all of their forward prospects and tons of cap space. Gotta wait and see what else they do now.

...Hawks don't exactly have the cream of the crop in forward prospects, imo, and cap space isn't worth much if there's really no one to spend it on; this year's UFA crop isn't exactly a stunning crowd...

 

[CanadianHawks]

Definitely lots riding on the duo of Lev/Rinzel. Hawks need at least one of them to take that next step starting immediately this upcoming season. I think Levshunov will.

Only need one to pop. The other can settle into a second pair role with this move in the short term, and our build is not dependent on both hitting after this deal.

This will tell us alot about the Hawks pro and amateur scouting

I can't help but laugh at the Jones/Jarmo comments, the Hawks won that trade

 

[Zirakzigil]

Obviously, there was a massive bidding war for Byram, but holy moly. Apparently, San Jose offered picks 9, 27, and an unknown prospect for Byram. No wonder Chicago's final trade price was so obscene.

Yeah I was wonder what the other offers were.... Price paid is starting to make sense.

 

[LiseL]

Stenberg and Reid are going #2 & #3. That's why CHI moved off the pick

Lots of rumbling that the Canucks will pick Malhotra so possible that Reid is still there assuming that Jarmo doesn't flip the pick to acquire a player.

 

[Sergei Shirokov]

Value-wise its an overpay and there's no getting around it. 1st round picks are like new cars, they have their highest value right up until they are locked in & brought home. But ultimately if you draft Chase Reid or Carson Carels.. I think your pretty ecstatic if they are what Byram is now in 3-4 years. So how long does Chicago have to wait?

Its poor asset management, but ultimately they get a building block type of player they desperately need.

I also think the landscape is shifting. Theres too many teams, players control their destiny faster, and there isn't enough talent to go around. So talent becomes the #1 commodity. You can't wait around forever or you lose what talent you have.

 

[Divine]

According to the reports by Wheeler, Chicago wanted Stenberg at #4 but feel SJ is taking him and Vancouver is taking Malhotra so they traded away the pick for an NHL-ready defencemen instead of waiting potentially years for the draft pick to be ready (as d-men usually take longer). Also reports Buffalo may be shopping the pick already.

2026 NHL Mock Draft 3.0: Wheeler’s final predictions for the first 2 rounds

With the draft now days away, Wheeler projects every pick from the Maple Leafs at No. 1 through the Rangers at No. 64.

www.nytimes.com

4. Buffalo Sabres: Chase Reid, RHD, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)​

Two things before we get to the Sabres’ options at No. 4:

1. I believe the Blackhawks were zeroed in on Stenberg throughout this process and that once the Sharks made the Eklund trade to acquire No. 9, it became clear to them that they were taking Stenberg at No. 2 and a defenseman at No. 9. That conclusion led them to pivot as quickly as they did today to pushing for Bowen Byram, who gives them an immediate PPQB to play with Connor Bedard as they push to get better. I don’t think they were prepared to wait two years for Reid, and maybe another two years for him to figure it out in the NHL. That puts you into 2030 and beyond before you realize the impact of the pick. Byram gives them a 25-year-old left-shot D now.
2. When I reached out for intel into who the Sabres might consider at No. 4, I got this back from a league source: “Think they might use it for something.” So this circus might not be done. I’ve been hearing the Penguins have been aggressive in trying to move up as well.

Now, if they do make the pick and the forwards go 1-2-3 (and everything I’ve gathered has led me to believe that’s the most likely outcome), I’d bet that they’ll take one of the D, and Reid and Carels are the most likely. And if it’s Reid, could righty Radim Mrtka, already in trade rumors, be on his way out as well?

 

[LiseL]

I’d like to issue a formal apology to Sabres fans. Apparently Byram can get a top-5 pick in return if you negotiate with the right GM.

It's funny you should say this. On the Sens board, a fan was complaining that they should've gotten more for the 9 OV. I then asked which GM's pocket should they have picked? Another fan responded Kyle Davidson. This was hours ago but it seems that fan knew what he was talking about.

 

[Terry Yake]

and i thought trading the 9th overall pick for eklund was bad.....

woof

 

[Grinner]

It's funny you should say this. On the Sens board, a fan was complaining that they should've gotten more for the 9 OV. I then asked which GM's pocket should they have picked? Another fan responded Kyle Davidson. This was hours ago but it seems that fan knew what he was talking about.

Jarno the Artful Dodger

 

[Random Comment]

and i thought trading the 9th overall pick for eklund was bad.....

woof

Why would that be bad? He was drafted at 7th and looks to be a good quality player in the 5-10 range who hasn’t most value and on 5.6 mil for three more years. Anyone thinking that’s bad needs a refresher.

 

[Ghost of Murph]

Available quality D aren't plentiful. Everything depends on whether or not CHI can lock Byram up long-term at a reasonable price. If they can't do that this is a horrendous trade and makes zero sense. Have to think CHI has something else big in the works and wants to contend for a playoff spot next season. Otherwise should have just kept the 4 and waited until Byram is a UFA and nabbed him then if he's a such a Blackhawk enthusiast. Either way, Buffalo came out looking good with this trade. Chicago remains to be seen.

 

[LiseL]

IMO Crevier seems like a depth defenseman so not too crazy of an add, but it's still a mind boggling deal for Chicago to make.

Big D who is positionally sound, blocks shots, protects the net, good stick, huge shot and good on the PK. Sounds like a perfect partner for Timmins.

 

[Surfer Dude]

Obviously, there was a massive bidding war for Byram, but holy moly. Apparently, San Jose offered picks 9, 27, and an unknown prospect for Byram. No wonder Chicago's final trade price was so obscene.

that's a huge gap between what the Sharks offered vs what the Hawks gave up tho lol.

apparently, Grier turned down KD's attempt to move up to 2OA which led to Byram. All this after Shark jumped them to get to 2OA... what a sequence of events connecting the two rebuilds from Bedard vs Celebrini lol