The Chicago Blackhawks made a massive bet on Bowen Byram this offseason, and one of his former teammates sounds convinced they made the right one. Buffalo Sabres star Tage Thompson offered a glowing assessment of Byram that should make Blackhawks fans even more excited about what is coming.
Tage Thompson believes Bowen Byram is a No. 1 defenseman
Chicago didn't acquire Byram to simply become another piece of its blue line.
The Blackhawks sent the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, defenseman Louis Crevier and a second-round pick to Buffalo for Byram and Jordan Greenway. They followed that by giving Byram a six-year, $75 million extension that begins in 2027-28.
That's a serious investment.
Thompson apparently believes Byram is worth it.
“He is a No. 1 defenseman,” Thompson said during the NHL's media tour, via The Hockey News.
Thompson went on to praise just about every part of Byram's game, pointing to his ability to contribute offensively while remaining responsible in his own end. He also noted that Byram can kill penalties and run a power play.
That sounds a lot like the player Chicago believes it acquired.
Tage Thompson on Byram: “He is a No. 1 defenseman. One of the strengths of our team is our back end. We’ve got a lot of really, really solid D. Obviously, Dahlin’s on another level, and guys that play behind him maybe don’t get the recognition that they probably deserve outside… pic.twitter.com/HoDSdoLM9t
— R i N K Y (@RinkyReport) September 13, 2026
Blackhawks are giving Byram the opportunity Buffalo couldn't
Byram's role in Buffalo came with an obvious obstacle. The Sabres already had Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power occupying major roles on their blue line.
Chicago doesn't have that problem.
The Blackhawks can turn Byram loose and find out exactly how high his ceiling goes. He is coming off a career year with 11 goals and 42 points while appearing in all 82 games for Buffalo, and he's still only 25.
Chicago is betting there is another level there.
It's a costly bet. A $12.5 million annual cap hit will bring enormous expectations once Byram's extension begins, especially after the Blackhawks surrendered the fourth overall pick to get him.
But Thompson knows what Byram looks like every day better than most people evaluating the trade from the outside.
If he's right and the Blackhawks really landed a legitimate No. 1 defenseman entering his prime, that fourth overall pick suddenly becomes much easier to forget.
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