After the news broke earlier this week that Brady Tkachuk was being traded to Florida to join his brother, Chicago Blackhawks fans everywhere seemed itchy for a move. It was always a possibility that Chicago would trade the No. 4 overall pick, so this trade was a long time coming. But this move may not have been what Blackhawks fans had in mind.
On Tuesday night, the Blackhawks acquired defenseman Bowen Byram from the Sabres as well as forward Jordan Greenway in exchange for the No. 4 pick, defenseman Louis Crevier, and the No. 45 pick. It’s GM Kyle Davidson’s first blockbuster trade since taking over in 2022, and a move of this caliber seemed to always be in the works; fans have been waiting on a big move to get a real star for years.
Now, they have one. Byram is a 25-year-old offensive defenseman in the final season of a two-year, $12.5 million contract. He set a career high with 42 points in 82 games last season, posting a plus-15 mark and playing a vital role on both ends of the ice.
Greenway seems like mostly a cap dump with one year remaining on a two-year, $8 million contract. He had six points in 40 regular-season games but did play all 13 playoff games. He’s 29 years old and doesn’t fit into Chicago’s long-term plans, but could be a decent enforcer this season at 6-foot-6 and 231 pounds.
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Byram and even Greenway are nice additions to the roster, but the price is certainly steep. The No. 4 pick could have turned into anything, and Crevier has really come into his own as a potential solid blueliner. He had 25 points in 78 games last season and has certainly outperformed his expected value as a 2020 seventh-round pick.
It did seem like the writing was on the wall for the Blackhawks to be looking to trade the No. 4 pick. The Sharks traded William Eklund to Ottawa for the No. 9 pick on Tuesday afternoon, which all but guaranteed that they were looking to grab Ivar Stenberg at No. 2 and wait on a much-needed defenseman at No. 9. That would give Chicago pretty much their pick of any blueliner in the class. With this move, it looks like they saw Byram (or the value of Byram over Crevier) as more valuable than anyone they could get at No. 4.
Blackhawks fans online don’t seem too thrilled about the trade, and it’s fair to question whether Davidson overpaid on this one. But the reality is that Byram is a great player who would be able to slide into a top-pairing defenseman for Chicago and give them a great boost at both ends of the ice. It accelerates the Blackhawks’ rebuild time and gives them a serious shot at the playoffs next spring, which they wouldn’t have had if they had made the No. 4 pick later this week.
The Blackhawks now won’t make a pick in this week’s draft until Saturday’s second round. They own the Nos. 34 and 37 overall picks, as well as picks in the third and fourth rounds and two selections in the seventh. Saturday’s draft will kick off at 10 a.m. CT.
