The Chicago Blackhawks traded the No. 4 overall pick in this year’s Entry Draft to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for defenseman Bowen Byram on Tuesday.

The overall asking price was … high. The No. 4 pick, No. 45 pick and defenseman Louis Crevier are all in the Sabres’ hands now, and the Blackhawks got Byram and left winger Jordan Greenway in return.

“You’ve got to give to get,” said general manager Kyle Davidson in media availability on Wednesday. “(Crevier) was part of the give. In our estimation, we had to provide something of value, and obviously Buffalo felt that too.”

This deal was the cherry on top of a wild day on the NHL trade block. The highlights of the day were the Washington Capitals trading for St. Louis Blues forward Jordan Kyrou, as well as the San Jose Sharks acquiring another first-round draft pick.

After three years of rebuilding the team through the Entry Draft, Davidson decided it was time to take meaningful steps forward. Instead of drafting a defenseman at No. 4 overall and waiting half a decade for that prospect to develop, he brought in immediate help and made the team better for next year.

Byram — a 25-year-old blossoming defenseman and Stanley Cup Champion — brings elite play-driving influence to the Blackhawks. In media availability on Wednesday, he said that things started clicking for him this year from a maturity standpoint. He also noted that he simply scratched the surface of what he is capable of last season.

“I’m confident in myself,” Byram said. “ … I’m really excited for this opportunity because I think it’s going to be a chance for me to, you know, really blossom into the player I think I can be.”

Byram will fit right into the Blackhawks’ first defensive pairing and help mentor younger defensemen, like Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel. He’ll also likely quarterback the top power play unit alongside center Connor Bedard, who has worked out with Byram in past offseasons.

“I feel like I know (Bedard) somewhat decently well, we shared how excited we are to play with each other,” Byram said.

Meanwhile, Greenway will slot into the bottom six forward group. He brings physicality and effective penalty-killing to the table, both areas the Blackhawks wanted to improve on this offseason.

“He’s a really big body that can get in on the forecheck and make life difficult for opposing defenders,” Davidson said.

Davidson also suggested that this may not be the last trade he makes this offseason, noting that while he is happy with his group, they are never satisfied. He is trying to swing for a forward addition, but nothing has materialized yet.

Ironically, Byram was the fourth overall selection in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft; not by the Blackhawks, but by the Colorado Avalanche. Former Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman infamously passed on him to select center Kirby Dach. Fast forward seven years, and Byram ended up in Chicago after all.

“You never know what is going to happen,” Byram said. “In my mind, I really wanted to go to Chicago … it’s a place I’ve always wanted to play.”

Byram is in the second year of a two-year contract, earning $6.25 million annually. He is eligible to sign a contract extension with the Blackhawks on July 1. Davidson called it a “priority,” saying he feels comfortable about Byram wanting to be in Chicago past 2027.

Fans on X have thrown around numbers speculating what his contract will end up being, with the most common being seven years at $12.5 million annually. Regardless, it sounds like Byram can’t wait to put pen to paper.

“I plan on being in Chicago for a long time,” Byram said.

@ShaperoZach

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