Excerpt from Blackhawks’ GM Davidson on Byram Trade – Hockey Writers – Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks set the NHL world on fire when they made a trade that sent the fourth pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, defenseman Louis Crevier, and a 2026 second-round pick in exchange for defenseman Bowen Byram and forward Jordan Greenway.

General manager Kyle Davidson spoke to the media on June 24 to discuss all about the blockbuster deal.

Here are some that you can take.

Objectives of Byram Trade

The Blackhawks paid a low price to get Byram, but in Davidson’s eyes, he did what he had to do.

He mentioned that “they help a lot with a young player that is available that is not available often in the league,” and explained that, in the current market, with players perhaps not as available as they used to be, the prices are going up.

Some of the goals that came into play:

• Someone who can help immediately
• Someone who supports his team’s philosophy- “Now, the way we want to play and how we want to build this team, it starts from the end. We want to have a high defense…”
• Someone who was young enough to grow up with the group.

Davidson said, “Well, I think … it checks a lot of different boxes here. One is that it just gives us a legitimate top of the line defender that we feel can play every situation, step in and be an offensive driver for us, run a tough game, but also provide a player who can play left and right, which we believe gives better development opportunities to our defensive players, and helps give our new players a chance to develop. The defensive roster to allow assignments maybe easier for some of these young players who are trying to enter the league and develop within the NHL, and you know that you can control the list in the list of players day and night based on the needs, as Blash (Jeff Blashill) did last year with the seventh defender.

“This gives us another option to slide a quality young player back and forth depending on the need, so I think it empowers some of these very young players.”

“Bo is still very young in the NHL, but you know, he gives those young players an opportunity, like Bo got from guys like Cale Makar and Rasmus Dahlin… the rigors of the playoff run, the championship with Colorado, one that goes with Buffalo, and I think he has the important experience to be able to give our young defensemen a program as they grow into what he is now in his career.”

The Bedard Factor

The part of the trade that raised questions was whether the fourth pick could have been used to get a goaltender to go along with Connor Bedard instead.

Davidson mentioned his confidence in the players the team has. Although we also note that they are not finished searching, but so much so that there is nothing tangible to trade… for now.

“…The players that we have inside, we feel they are very helpful and they have respect for them, so we are very comfortable to use them. I really believe that Connor believes in those players, too. Now, that does not mean that we do not stop trying to improve, and we do not stop trying to find options and improve our team. Of course we do, and we will definitely succeed, but we will succeed, but we will succeed, but we will succeed, and we will succeed, but we will succeed. internal options, then we are very comfortable with that, and we believe in our young players wholeheartedly, and That doesn’t mean, as I said, that there aren’t things you’re checking out, which we will continue to do.

But right now, as we stand, we’re very happy and we’re happy with what we got back from our team, or entering the team, in the case of Roman (Kantserov), because we feel like there are some elite offensive players there, and the ability to play with someone of Connor’s caliber, and we’ll continue to work on it. But as we stand now, we are happy with the team, but we are not satisfied, in terms of trying to improve the team.”

We will see if anything comes of the case until the end of the summer. Whether that’s through trade or offer sheets.

What about Crevier?

The 25-year-old defenseman, Louis Crevier, was very heavy on the Byram trade, considering that the seventh-round pick was a big part of the Blackhawks’ defense last season.

Davidson seems reluctant to include Crevier as part of the comeback. But he talked about the business side of giving to get.

“I don’t really look at his giving. You know, it’s part of the job and part of the give and take to get a deal done. So, unfortunately, you have to give to get, and that was part of the giving. We’re really proud of the progress that Louis made in his time here, and you know, he started, and he worked as an NHL player last year and settled in his seventh year. He noticed around the league.

“But in our estimation, we had to give something of value, and obviously, Buffalo saw it that way, too, and that’s how the transaction happened. You don’t feel 100 percent comfortable giving up all the pieces, but you know what? That’s the way these things work. And you know what, in our mind is, ‘What do we need to do to get Bo that?’, and we move forward…

No Apologies for the Blackhawks End

The Blackhawks knew the Byram trade was big, but they liked it and saw potential. They know the noise around them, and they stand behind it.

“…At some point, there are players available to you, and some are not available, and many of those things are sometimes beyond your control, and you have to decide when to strike, when to be patient, and this time, when Bo was available, and we were considering our options, we wanted to be aggressive and decide, and we thought we did that. and I don’t think we will apologize for that.

“We have made our team better, without a doubt, and we believe that we have improved and increased not only the floor but also our ceiling in our team going forward. Therefore, we thought it was a very appropriate pursuit, and looking forward, we still have good assets in our organization to help add other parts of the list. But as we sit here today, I truly believe that we have all the information about the team, and the young team, and the whole youth, Therefore, we feel that we are in a very strong position with assets to stand out we continue to explore what is available and what options are moving forward.

“We’re very excited today to get Bo, and we believe he’s a great fit for our team, very well.”

Turning Words into Actions

Davidson spoke of having to put “money where our mouth is” when discussing contract negotiations with Byram (which is due for an extension on July 1), while explaining, “We are willing to pay high-quality players, and if there is an opportunity to acquire and retain a player that we believe is high-quality and a star, we will do that, and we will not hesitate to do that.”

Davidson has spoken before about wanting the team to improve, but over the past few years, many of their moves have been more like putting a Band-Aid on a broken leg than a real solution, as they have focused on player development.

This trade forces Davidson to talk the talk and walk the walk. Scott Power of Athletic reported to the scouting coordinator that he was looking to be aggressive. (from ‘Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson says motivated to make big offseason move’- The Athletic – (06/05/2026).

Byram and Greenway certainly made an aggressive move. Davidson said he and the team wanted to improve; this trade could do. He said they are fine with paying great players. This will be something to watch closely as their players develop, and it is also an example of Bedard’s contract. Byram will be expanded again this summer, which he said is a priority.

We don’t know how his decisions will turn out. As with any trade, questions remain. But Davidson seems ready to practice what he preaches.

By agreement.