Why Bowen Byram will not be the next Seth Jones

Blackhawks fans, we have made it to September! Soon the lists and predictions will all be over, and the puck will be dropped. But until that moment, we will continue to watch and listen to narratives from the national media about how Bowen Byram is overpaid, much like what we saw with Seth Jones. They are both offensive defensemen who signed lengthy contracts, but that might be where the similarities end.

Similar Contracts, Different Eras

In July 2021, Seth Jones signed an eight-year, $76 million contract with the Blackhawks. This came to an average annual value of $9.5 million per year. At the time, Stan Bowman was the general manager, and this was his last major move before he resigned from the team. In 2021-2022, the plan for the Blackhawks was to compete for a playoff position, as they still had Patrick Kane, Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Strome, Brandon Hagel, etc. As we all know, this did not come to fruition. The Blackhawks finished with 68 points and new GM Kyle Davidson began the deconstruction of the team.

With all of the above players traded, Seth Jones was the lone star on the team by the end of the 2022-2023 season. His contract included a full no-movement clause, and his cap hit was too large to be taken on by a contending team at the time. Jones was a solid defenseman for the Blackhawks during their rebuild and logged the most minutes of any skater during his time with the team. Although there were times he was visibly frustrated or took his foot off the gas, he deserved much more credit than he was given during his stay with the Blackhawks.

Bowen Byram, on the other hand, was traded to the Blackhawks and subsequently signed an extension this offseason to a six-year, $75 million contract. Unlike Jones, who was brought in with a cast of aging stars, Byram is beginning the season with a youthful and talented roster of prospects. The Blackhawks are exiting the rebuild and are looking to be competitive as soon as this season. The 25-year-old Byram will be relied on to be the number one defenseman while quarterbacking the top power play and playing in every high leverage situation.

While both of their contracts are similar and what many believe are overpaid, it is too early to declare this was a bad contract given out by Davidson. They are paying Byram for his potential and not past performance. While this is seen as risky, it is necessary in this era of the NHL. Jones had greater success before his tenure with the Blackhawks, but still was paid based on what management expected from him. The major difference between the two players is the rosters that have been constructed around them.

Expectations For 2026-2027

While Byram is slotted to be the number one defenseman, he is not expected to lead the team in ice time by over four to five minutes per game (what Jones averaged during his stay). Alex Vlasic has been a reliable defenseman for the Blackhawks for the last few seasons and will most likely be paired with Byram as they begin the season. His defensive mindset will allow Byram to be more aggressive on the offensive end of the ice.

Given his projected role on the Blackhawks, we can expect Byram to set a career high in goals, assists, power play points, and time-on-ice. While he will have pressure to produce, the intensity will not be the same as what Jones had placed on him. Byram and the young team will be given time to gel together, whereas Jones was expected to produce instantly with the limited window that team had to succeed.

At the time, Seth Jones was a valuable player for the Blackhawks during some very difficult years. However, Bowen Byram has the confidence and competitiveness that could set him apart from the Jones comparisons. He has the opportunity to take this young team to the next level and begin competing for Stanley Cups during his tenure.

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