The Chicago Blackhawks made their first big trade of the 2026-27 season. Bowen Byram is now their top defenseman.
At first, the trade was met with shock, and rightfully so. The Blackhawks mortgaged a lot of valuable capital to make this trade happen. In fact, their most valuable asset in the fourth overall pick was the centerpiece of the deal. Along with one of their many second-round picks and defenseman Louis Crevier.
For many, the initial shock of the trade stuck. For others, the trade is already looking better on paper. Of course, hockey is not played on paper. Many other factors need to be in place to justify this trade. After analyzing the assets in and out, there’s reason to believe this “fleecing” can set the Blackhawks future up very well.
What Did the Blackhawks Really Lose?
The fourth overall pick is the primary piece of contention. More than likely, the Blackhawks would have selected a defenseman with this pick. Instead of waiting for one to pan out, they instead traded for one that will immediately impact the team. Detractors of this trade mention that this pick should have been traded for a winger. The Blackhawks still have a glaring need for wing play, and they now have one less valuable piece to make that happen with.
The Blackhawks have a wealth of second-round picks in both the 2026 and 2027 drafts. Throwing that in here is not much skin off their back. Crevier was a fan favorite. It’s tough to part ways with a guy who went from a seventh-round project to a legitimate NHL defenseman. With that said, his ceiling does not seem much higher than a third-pairing player on a contender. For the Blackhawks, including him was the cost of doing business, and it seems they are solid in that decision.
Crevier is a great player, but he doesn’t provide anything irreplaceable. In other words, where Crevier excels from a pure skill standpoint is something you can find in many more than one defenseman. Good penalty killer, above-average decision-making, and a physical presence. What is almost irreplaceable is his frame. The range of his defensive game, in a very literal sense, was noticeable, given his 6-foot-8 height. That, paired with his strong skating and stickhandling, will surely be missed.
Another piece of Crevier that will be missed is his personality. He was a fan favorite for a reason, and who he was off the ice was a large part of that. A class act who loved nothing more than to play the sport and support his fellow Blackhawks. Louis was the first to stand up for his teammates, and there isn’t anything more intimidating than a towering brute looking for vengeance. He will absolutely be missed in Chicago.
What Bo Brings Now
The truth is, this trade makes the Blackhawks better. Overpayment or not, the team on the ice to start 2026-27 will be better than the previous season. A big reason Byram refused an extension in Buffalo was his role. He wanted to go somewhere he could shine as a number-one defenseman. Throughout his career, he has been in situations that have not supported this role despite showing many valuable traits. In Chicago, he can do just that.
Byram excels in the transition game. His exits and entries are the smoothest and most professional aspects of his player archetype. Anyone who watched the Blackhawks last year knows how desperately they need help in this area. No longer will the team get stuck in the defensive zone until they’re worn down to a goal against. Well, at least when the new blueliner hits the ice.
The above package is rumored to be what the San Jose Sharks offered for Byram. The 9th overall pick acquired in the William Eklund trade, the 27th overall pick, and a prospect. Virtually the same package in terms of total assets, only the Blackhawks offered a higher high pick and a much lower low pick. Crevier isn’t considered a prospect anymore, which probably helped the Blackhawks’ case in comparison.
This tells us two things. For one, the NHL is in a total sellers’ market. It is far more difficult to improve the NHL roster than it is to accrue futures. The Sharks providing a similar package, albeit a weaker one, proves that multiple teams are willing to dig deep into their inventory. Additionally, Kyle Davidson knew he couldn’t lose out on a seemingly popular trade target to a team accomplishing their rebuild in a far quicker fashion.
Byram Is Help for Connor Bedard
Although he’s not a winger, hockey teams ice five players at a time. Now, to suggest that wingers don’t matter for their star center would be ridiculous. There is still a glaring need in that department. But, as mentioned before, the Blackhawks severely struggled to find a natural flow in their offense from the defensemen to the forwards. In fact, it’s reasonable to assume this would also help unlock the underperforming wingers that many felt detracted from Bedard’s game.
Bedard, Frank Nazar, Anton Frondell, Oliver Moore. These guys will benefit greatly from having a player like Byram who can set up the offense from their own zone. Oftentimes, especially towards the end of last year, it felt like the Blackhawks relied on a lucky bounce to get their offense moving. Byram can change that.
Could it be a bright, high personality individual showing appreciation for his new teammate? Sure. But it was a massive relief for many to hear that soon after, Bedard and Byram were in contact, exchanging excitement about sharing the United Center ice. And, according to Seravalli, not even 18 holes were going to stop Bedsy from making his excitement known. That’s pretty telling for a hockey player in the offseason.
The Unfortunate Reality
Blackhawks fans simply will not know whether this trade was worth it until a few things happen. For one, Bryam clearly needs to prove his worth as a number-one defenseman. Does he need to win a Norris trophy? No, that would be a pretty outlandish standard to place on any defenseman. But he needs to show that he is an elite offensive talent, with at least a serviceable defensive game. Lining him up next to Alex Vlasic could be a complementary first pairing.
Additionally, the Blackhawks need to lock him down long-term. Byram has repeatedly expressed his desire to play in Chicago long-term, so expect it to happen. But until it happens, it will be a pending necessity. Considering what they gave up, this is arguably the most important loose end to be tied.
And what the fans have all been waiting for is a valuable player on Bedard’s wing. The initial belief is that the Blackhawks would trade the 4th overall pick for a winger. Or, in another possibility, draft a defenseman and trade a current young defenseman away in a package. Instead, they chose to trade for Byram, who turns the clock forward on their competitiveness in the standings.
In the event the Blackhawks package a current young defenseman like Kevin Korchinski or Sam Rinzel with draft capital to grab a winger, they can turn the clock forward on both fronts. Unfortunate news for many: Davidson doesn’t seem wildly committed to this idea, but is still looking.
Chicago May Already Have a Solution
Given how heavily the market favors the seller, the Blackhawks simply may not be able to make a trade they’re comfortable with. That may be an interesting sentiment to bestow on a team that just traded the fourth overall pick, but nonetheless. There’s a very real possibility that Tyler Bertuzzi and rookie Roman Kantserov join Bedard on the first line. This may be a sour note for some, but there’s reason to believe in this solution.
Kantserov is used to professional hockey. The KHL is arguably the second-best professional league in the world. Relying on him to provide support to Bedard wouldn’t be like asking any rookie — it would be asking one of the best young Russian KHLers since Kirill Kaprizov to do so. Davidson certainly believes he can be that guy.
Bertuzzi, on the other hand, made a killing cleaning up what Bedard left for him. The human backboard tucked a career high 32 biscuits and many, if not all, were all tight within the crease. It is a quintessential F3 power-play net-front playstyle. Should fans expect a repeat? Not necessarily. But there’s no reason not to believe he absolutely can’t repeat it, especially as his contract gets closer to expiring in 2028.
If the previous three conditions can be met, the Bowen Byram trade will age very well. For the time being, this looks very lopsided away from the Chicago Blackhawks. Although the outrage is largely justified, the best course is to withhold major judgment until the offseason concludes and the Blackhawks begin playing games.
A Family Affair
For the enjoyers of a good fun fact, Byram, much like Bedard, has the Blackhawks organization in his familial history. Some are familiar with James Bedard, the great-great uncle of Connor, who played a short 22-game career all in Chicago. More recently, Bowen’s father, Shawn Byram, played a whopping one game in the Windy City. It’ll be exciting to welcome a new face, but a relatively familiar name, to the United Center.
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