- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,195,039
- Reaction score
- 59
You must be registered for see images attach
Just eight days after being acquired via trade from the Buffalo Sabres, the Chicago Blackhawks have signed and secured 25-year-old defenseman Bowen Byram to a contract extension.
Byram and the Blackhawks agreed to a six-year deal with a lucrative $12.5 million cap hit on Wednesday morning, the first day the 2019 No. 4 overall pick became eligible for a new contract. The extension comes into effect at the start of the 2027-28 season and runs through 2032-33. The deal also carries a full no-movement clause.
When Blackhawks’ general manager Kyle Davidson spoke with the media last week following the trade, he made his intentions to sign Byram as soon as possible abundantly clear, calling it a top priority entering free agency. After all, it would only make sense for Davidson to give up as much as he did for Byram if he signed him to a long-term deal.
Byram was also outspoken about his desire to reach an agreement with the Blackhawks during his first media availability on Zoom, saying he plans to be in Chicago “for a long time”. Well, those plans are now officially a reality for Byram after putting pen to paper on Wednesday. By doing so, he’s also currently set to be the NHL’s highest-paid defenseman in 2027-28, although that will surely change before that season rolls around.
When discussing Byram’s extension last week, Davidson recognized that he would have to put his money where his mouth is here. Considering Byram is coming off two superb seasons with the Sabres, including a career-high 42 points (11G, 32A) in 2025-26, he was due for a substantial pay raise. Set to become an unrestricted free agent at the prime of his career next summer, a massive contract was going to be thrown his way from someone, and the Blackhawks were more than willing for it to be them.
“We’re OK paying great players,” Davidson said. “And if there’s an opportunity to acquire and retain a player that we believe is elite and a star, then we will do so, and we won’t blink in doing it.”
But the figure the Blackhawks re-signed Byram to certainly has folks around the league blinking their eyes in relative disbelief, as he’s now being paid like an elite No. 1 defenseman without ever having been one. Such is life in the fast-rising salary cap era that’s now a reality in the NHL landscape.
In his defense, Byram showed significant progress in becoming a top-tier defenseman during his two years in Buffalo. He elevated his offensive game by producing the two highest point totals of his career, while making strides defensively and becoming a more well-rounded player. Byram also responded well to taking on a larger role for the first time, averaging over 22 minutes per game in both 2024-25 and 2025-26.
However, Byram never had to be leaned on as a No. 1 defenseman with the Sabres, like he’s about to be with the Blackhawks, as Rasmus Dahlin was the true anchor of his blue line. But now in Chicago, Byram is set to be the defensive anchor himself for the first time and will be tested in uncharted territory.
All this is not to say that Byram won’t prove the Blackhawks right and become the elite, high-caliber player they envision him as over the next seven seasons. With his skill set and notable recent development, it’s certainly plausible. But the concern stems from paying Byram like a premier, upper-echelon defenseman, without any career experience in that spot. It’s a major gamble by Davidson and the front office, and it very well could be a rebuilding-changing transaction.
For better or for worse, only time will tell.
For more Blackhawks news, visit Chicago Hockey Now and like our Facebook Page.
Follow us on X:
@chihockeynow, @JackBushman2
The post OFFICIAL: Blackhawks Sign Byram To Lucrative Six-Year Contract Extension appeared first on Chicago Hockey Now.
Continue reading...
