Blackhawks look for Bowen Byram to reach his potential this season

The Chicago Blackhawks acquired Bowen Byram earlier this offseason, and as time has continued, the trade is looking a bit better. The Blackhawks showed their confidence in him by signing him to a 12.5 million extension shortly after trading for him. Most analysts view him quite highly, a few naming him as the second-best defenseman on the Sabres behind Rasmus Dahlin.

Is Bowen Byram really a top defenseman?

This is where the jury is still out. Byram is serviceable, no doubt, as he made an impact on both the Colorado Avalanche and the Sabres during his tenure with the teams. The Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2022 with Byram averaging 19:22 minutes of ice time with nine assists in 20 games, and the Sabres made a great run to the second round of the 2026 playoffs with Byram averaging 22:24 with seven points in thirteen games.

Byram was instrumental in the Sabres' run, and he clearly has the skills that the Blackhawks defensemen lack or are learning. His breakout passing is top-notch, and he has the speed to keep up with the blazing-fast Blackhawks on the rush. His defensive play is definitely top-pairing as well, being responsible and using his positioning to protect the net. He's not the biggest guy, so he has to rely more on positioning and stick checking, and he does both very well.

Again, however, the main thing about him is his offensive game. He loves joining the rush, and with the lack of dependable offensive defensemen on the Blackhawks, this should take them to the next level. Let's take a look back at the Blackhawks' forte: Their transition play. Byram takes this up many notches, forcing the opposition to be more aware of that long pass that the Blackhawks look for all the time to make use of their speed advantage.

The price was (and still is) high, but as many analysts have said, the Blackhawks can't wait another two to three years for their top defenseman to arrive. Bedard is not getting any younger, and they have to make moves to make the postseason.

His skill is there, and clearly he can play a ton of minutes, but he was behind quite the pairing in Cale Makar and Devon Toews in Colorado, and Rasmus Dahlin had the top defenseman spot on the Sabres. Byram is clearly capable of playing big-time hockey, and we will have a front-row seat as to whether he can become a top defenseman or not. He has all the skills for it, just never had the chance. This is his chance in Chicago, and with the forwards getting a jolt with the signing of Patrick Kane, I'm sure the defense had a jolt with this signing.

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