Byram 'just scratching the surface,' ready to help Blackhawks after trade
NHL.com • • sports
Key Points:
- Cale Byram, 25, had a career-high 42 points this season with the Buffalo Sabres, helping them reach the playoffs for the first time in 15 years, and was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks along with forward Jordan Greenway for defenseman Louis Crevier and a second-round pick.
- Byram, the No. 4 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, has 152 points in 328 NHL games and won the Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2022; he aims to grow into a top defenseman with Chicago, especially contributing on the power play.
- Chicago GM Kyle Davidson highlighted Byram as a potential top-pair and possibly No. 1 defenseman, expecting him to provide leadership and boost the team's young defensive core.
- Byram emphasized his growth in confidence and maturity over his NHL career and expressed excitement about his new role and long-term future with the Blackhawks, with contract extension talks planned.
- The Blackhawks hope Byram’s experience playing alongside elite defensemen like Cale Makar and Rasmus Dahlin will help accelerate the development of their young defensemen aged 20-23.
