The Chicago Blackhawks made a significant move to strengthen their blue line on Tuesday, landing defenseman Bowen Byram and forward Jordan Greenway from the Buffalo Sabres. In exchange, Buffalo walked away with defenseman Louis Crevier and two notable selections — the No. 4 overall pick and the No. 45 pick — heading into an NHL draft the Sabres are hosting this week.
With those additions, Buffalo now holds two first-round picks in this draft, having already owned the No. 20 selection. The haul gives the Sabres a pair of premium assets to work with on home ice.
Byram is the headline acquisition for Chicago. The 25-year-old defenseman just wrapped up the strongest offensive campaign of his NHL career, recording 11 goals and 31 assists across all 82 games for Buffalo this past season. He ranked second among Sabres defensemen in both assists and total points, while also blocking 93 shots on the defensive end.
Byram also made his mark in the postseason, contributing seven points — including four goals — in 13 playoff games. He was part of the Buffalo squad that captured the Atlantic Division title and snapped a 14-year playoff absence, which stood as the longest drought in NHL history.
Over his career, Byram has tallied 44 goals and 108 assists in 328 regular-season games, split between the Colorado Avalanche from 2020 to 2024 and the Sabres from 2024 to 2026. He has also chipped in four goals and 15 assists in 40 career playoff appearances.
For the Blackhawks, this trade signals an attempt to speed up a rebuild that has struggled to gain traction. Chicago has missed the playoffs in six consecutive seasons and finished at the bottom of the Central Division for the fourth year in a row — despite selecting seventh or higher in each of the last four drafts.
Byram will slot into a young Chicago defensive group that already features Artyom Levshunov and Kevin Korchinski. He fills a void left after the team moved Connor Murphy to the Edmonton Oilers shortly before last season’s trade deadline. Byram also brings championship pedigree, having been part of the Colorado Avalanche team that hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2022.
Greenway adds veteran presence up front for the Blackhawks. The 29-year-old forward, who brings size and a checking-line style of play, put up one goal and five assists in 40 games last season. Over his NHL career, he has accumulated 165 points in 475 games, including stints with the Minnesota Wild from 2017 to 2023 and Buffalo from 2023 to 2026.
Heading to Buffalo is Crevier, also 25, who just set career bests across the board with seven goals, 18 assists, and 78 games played for Chicago last season. The towering 6-foot-8 defenseman finished second on the Blackhawks in both hits with 124 and blocked shots with 95.
