Bowen Byram spoke to the Chicago Blackhawks media on Wednesday, and his comments were music to the ears of Blackhawks fans who looked at Tuesday’s trade and realized the organization gave up a lot to acquire a defenseman who wasn’t signed long-term.
It doesn’t appear that it will be a concern. “I plan on being in Chicago for a long time,” said the former Buffalo Sabres defenseman.
Byram commented on the trade and said, “I’m super excited to end up in Chicago. It’s been one of my favorite teams growing up. … It’s the place I wanted to end up. It’s a very attractive place for me.” Byram added that Connor Bedard called him after the trade happened: “We both shared how excited we are to play with each other.”
The Blackhawks took a risk sending the No. 4 overall pick in the draft to Buffalo. They’re getting a little flack for it, even though many will admit that Byram has the ability to be a No. 1 defenseman in the NHL. For Chicago, this was about making a push this coming season. They want to be a contender and the pick would have been a potential impact player, but not for two or three years. With Bedard an RFA and the NHL proving that players have more and more say about where they wind up, it’s time the Blackhawks make a move.
They’v also been linked to rumors involving Matthew Knies out of Toronto.
Byram Wasn’t Going to Stay with the Sabres
Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen said Byram didn’t want to negotiate on a new contract. He tried to convince him throughout the year, but couldn’t get Byram to agree to talk about sticking around. For Byram, it’s all about a chance to become a No. 1 defenseman. That was never going to happen in Buffalo.
He’s immediately the top guy in Chicago and Byram can sign an extension with the Blackhawks on July 1st. As for what he’ll agree to, that remains to be seen. Speculation is that the ask is north of $10 million per season. Still, it sounds like he can’t wait to get a deal done.
Will this lead to Bedard’s extension as well? The latest is that he’s among several big-name RFAs waiting for the market to determine what a player of his value should make. That said, he’s unique in that he means so much to the Blackhawks organization; all that needs to happen is for Bedard to say he’s good to go, come up with a number, and the team will likely pay it. Adding Byram to the mix doesn’t hurt.
Next: The NHL Trade Market Is On Fire — And the Canucks Can’t Just Watch
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