Blackhawks Acquire Byram, Greenway for No. 4 Pick as Sabres Clear $9.35 Million

Q: By trading for a defenseman, did Chicago miss its best chance to draft an elite winger for superstar Connor Bedard?

Yes — in the narrow sense of this draft, Chicago gave up a strong opportunity to add a premium winger for Connor Bedard. Before the trade, the Blackhawks held the No. 4 pick, and multiple projections had them targeting Ivar Stenberg, a high-end Swedish winger widely viewed as an ideal fit next to an elite center. He was described as one of the best forwards available in the class and a player capable of matching top-line pace and skill. For a team still searching for a true top-six running mate for Bedard, that mattered. Instead, Chicago used that asset to acquire Bowen Byram, an established 25-year-old defenseman, plus Jordan Greenway. From the Blackhawks’ perspective, this was a move for certainty: Byram is already a proven NHL top-four defender coming off a 42-point season, not a prospect who may take years to arrive. That makes the trade defensible, especially for a club trying to move from rebuilding to competing. But it also means Chicago passed on one of its clearest paths to landing elite wing talent cheaply through the draft. The Blackhawks still have other ways to find Bedard help — trade, free agency, or later picks — yet those routes are usually more expensive and less certain than drafting near the top of the board. So the answer is largely yes: Chicago improved its blue line with a known player, but likely surrendered its best immediate draft chance to add a potential top-line winger for Bedard.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 24

Chicago sent the No. 4 and No. 45 picks in the 2026 NHL Draft plus defenseman Louis Crevier to Buffalo for Bowen Byram and Jordan Greenway, making a major win-now bet on a 25-year-old defenseman.
Buffalo used the deal to move out Greenway's $4 million salary and Byram's looming new contract, creating about $9.35 million in 2026-27 cap space while adding a premium first-round asset.
Byram gives the Blackhawks an offensive blue-liner who could quarterback a power play with Connor Bedard, but the move leaves unresolved Chicago's bigger need for a top-line winger.
Analysts across the latest report graded the trade heavily in Buffalo's favor, arguing Chicago overpaid for a player who may top out as a top-four defenseman rather than a true No. 1.
For Buffalo, the return opens multiple next steps: using the No. 4 pick on a young cornerstone or flipping it for an NHL-ready player as Jarmo Kekalainen reshapes the roster.