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

[PantherEnjoyer88]

Great trade for the Sabres. Byram is often underwhelming and he will want a big paycheck. To get a 4th overall out of this is great

 

[LickTheEnvelope]

Man Chicago must really think the Sharks are taking Stenberg.

 

[Hattrick Kane]

...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...

I’m guessing you know nothing about Frondell, Kantserov and Lardis, who are all basically ready this year. And that’s not even including Nazar.

 

[RationalExpectations]

As an external fan to this, I believe people need to understand no team wants to spend ten years in rebuild mode. Every team needs to take the next step and CHI has been missing the playoffs for quite a while, has a lot of young prospects getting into the NHL. Let s assume they get Reid or Carels, nobody sees the next Schaeffer in them, so most likely they make the NHL in two or three years ? Byram will be effective now. I am not sure this will go well for the Hawks but you can understand the thought process. Also note the Hawks did not have anything else of value for BUF so I guess it was 4OA or no deal.
Byram is a puzzling player but he is entering his prime and was always behind Makar then Dahlin, let s see what he can do as a number 1.
Let s also see what BUF does with the picks they miss a few pieces and their contention window is open.

 

[CanadianHawks]

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.

Both are RHD, never seen Crevier on left side

I think he can be a good partner for Power

 

[LiseL]

It’s not like this makes them better right now. Big hole in the top 4 now.

For now, still time for Jarmo to make some other moves. I wonder if he circles back for Parayko or is willing to pony up for Carlson on 2 year deal? By that time, Mrtka could be ready for prime time.

 

[PantherEnjoyer88]

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.

Who says they have to take a defenseman with the pick? I think Viggo Bjorck is a good choice with #4 when you consider how difficult defensemen are to project and how they often take 4+ years to be net positive NHLers

 

[KapG]

Byram got 4th overall eh. Lmaooooo what an absolutely awful trade for Chicago

 

[Ace]

Man Chicago must really think the Sharks are taking Stenberg.

There’s a lot of Sharks fingerprints on this whole thing.

Reportedly Chicago was trying to get up to 2 from 4 and it wasn’t getting done. Then San Jose moved Eklund for 9 so they knew Stenberg was off the board and decided to pivot to Byram. But San Jose was reportedly in on Byram too. And now had #9 and #27 to compete with. I think that’s how the return got so big for Buffalo. Because of the Sharks…twice.

 

[Ace]

Byram got 4th overall eh. Lmaooooo

Come on.

It also got 45, a young D and they took on a cap dump.

 

[LiseL]

Both are RHD, never seen Crevier on left side

I think he can be a good partner for Power

Don't think he's top 4 material (at least not yet). Might be alternating with Timmins on the 3rd pairing with Metsa. Jarmo may be working on acquiring a top 4 D whether via trade (revisit Parakyo) or FA (Carlson).

 

[David71]

if byram doesnt resign with chicago,ooff its gonna look so bad.

 

[LiseL]

Seriously what the f*** is this?

Is there a GM with a better track record in trades than Jarmo?? Jesus Christ.

As a Sabres fan, glad to see he hasn't lost his touch.

 

[LiseL]

Ruff hated him. There was no chance he was replacing Byram.

He also asked to be traded.

 

[Yatzhee]

Established concussion history, too. And a likely long-term extension north of $8m on the horizon.

Gonna guess more quantity than quality here.

Not a good guess. Knowing the valuation is partly guessing, reading tea leaves, but most of it is just looking at the pedigree, the age, the metrics, competitive bid process based on position and the trade partners needs.

4 OA + should not only have been expected, it should tell fans just how valuable some of these players are in reality.

This can go back to what I posted in the original teams exploring trade for Byram thread. There is a heavy market for that kind of puck moving d man at that age right now.

 

[ExarKun80]

Is Jim Benning Chicago's GM?

 

[LiseL]

Hey, when I'm wrong I'm wrong.

Never in a million years did I think a combo of Byram and Greenway would get us.............THIS. Never.

If we had any doubts about Jarmo being a good negotiator, they have now been quelled.

 

[LiseL]

Chicago must have a really low opinion of the players likely left in this draft if they'd trade thge 4th overall pick for Bowen Byram. I don't think he sucks or anything but I would just assume based on draft hype - I don't follow prospects, that one of the dmen in this draf would have a higher ceiling than him.

Byram himself went 4 OV and he was instrumental in the Avs cup win. Had a good year with Buffalo this season. He's always wanted to be 1D and on PP1 so I imagine he'll be motivated to show he's capable. Will need a solid defensive D man to play with though as he is more offensively minded. He is good on the PP just wasn't given a lot of opportunities in Buffalo (on PP2 because Dahlin is PP1).

 

[LiseL]

I’m assuming Reid. Dahlin, Power, Mrtka, Reid is a pretty crazy core

You forgot Samuelsson. Had a breakout season this year now that he's injury-free. Sweet contract too.

 

[Schennanigans]

Buffalo pivots from Byram to Reid. Don’t think they mind. They luck out because Vancouver aren’t gonna take him as the coaches son is available. The top 4 is already sealed at this point.

 

[SanJoseRedditor]

There’s a lot of Sharks fingerprints on this whole thing.

Reportedly Chicago was trying to get up to 2 from 4 and it wasn’t getting done. Then San Jose moved Eklund for 9 so they knew Stenberg was off the board and decided to pivot to Byram. But San Jose was reportedly in on Byram too. And now had #9 and #27 to compete with. I think that’s how the return got so big for Buffalo. Because of the Sharks…twice.

In that case I am very happy Grier bid up Chicago and made them pay a very hefty price for Byram. You're welcome Buffalo!

We will turn our attention to Whitecloud, Rasmus Anderson and possibly Hronek now.

 

[Riptide]

Man Chicago must really think the Sharks are taking Stenberg.

It was very very unlikely that he'd fall to 4. I suspect he's going 1/2 with McKenna.

 

[Riptide]

Byram got 4th overall eh. Lmaooooo what an absolutely awful trade for Chicago

Especially when you consider they also moved a 25 yo 6-8 RD who could play (7g/25pts last season for CHI). I think this was a mistake for CHI.

 

[Buresflyingelbow]

Brutal for Chicago and I have no doubt they are going to sign him to a contract extension that makes the deal look even worse. He will crater next year on Chicago and smart to sign that deal before he ever puts steel onto the ice surface in a Blackhawks uniform. I’m sure Chicago could have traded back to 8th or 10th and got some additional assets and still made the trade for Byram, giving up the 4th overall pick and taking a Cap dump while also giving up the 45th pick and a young, promising Dman who’s 6’8?

What is even happening here?

 

[IslesNorway]

Was Byram really the best defenceman in the league to be had for 4th overall??