Connor Bedard was back on the ice with the Blackhawks on Monday, and so was Bowen Byram - though Byram’s return came after a much more personal detour.
Byram missed the team’s first game back in Buffalo because of a family matter, and he confirmed the reason after practice. His wife, Kailey, gave birth to twin girls, the couple’s first children, on Saturday afternoon.
After traveling with the team to Buffalo, Byram got a call at the hotel early Saturday morning telling him the babies were on the way, so he hurried back to Chicago and made it in time to be there for the moment with Kailey. He said everything went smoothly.
Leaving the team in the middle of the road trip wasn’t easy, especially after Thursday’s 6-0 loss in Utah, but Byram made it clear where his priorities were.
Back in practice, he got valuable time alongside Artyom Levshunov, a pairing the Blackhawks are worth revisiting ahead of Tuesday’s home opener. Byram began the season on his off-side with Alex Vlasic, but that combo never found its footing and didn’t generate much of anything.
When Jeff Blashill started shuffling all three pairings late in the loss to the Mammoth, Byram and Levshunov got some reps together and held up well enough to earn another look. The switch also lets Byram return to his natural left side.
Vlasic and Ian Cole stayed together, and that made sense after they were Chicago’s most effective pair in Buffalo. Vlasic was on the ice for all three Blackhawks goals and picked up two assists, while Cole posted a plus-two and trailed only Vlasic in 5v5 expected goals percentage.
The other change at practice had Sam Rinzel back in the top six after sitting out Saturday. Kevin Korchinski and Ethan Del Mastro, who filled in for Byram and Rinzel in Western New York and made their season debuts, slid back into the No. 7 and No. 8 spots.
Rinzel’s case is straightforward: if he wants to stay in the lineup, he has to tighten things up in his own end. He turned the puck over too often in the first two games, and the Blackhawks need his skating to become a real weapon in transition. That same expectation applies to Byram.
So far, Byram’s start in Chicago has been quiet to the point of concern. Through just under 50 minutes of ice time, he has no points, no shots on goal and a minus-four rating.
The offense hasn’t shown up, and he’s been pushed around too easily in the defensive zone. Even more troubling for Chicago, he hasn’t yet been the kind of puck-moving defenseman the team needs most.
It’s early, but the longer that stretches on, the more the questions will grow around his acquisition and his contract extension. That comes with the territory when a player is labeled a No. 1 defenseman and paid like one.
Tuesday could be a perfect stage for a response. It will be Byram’s first official game appearance at the United Center, and he already has one memorable preseason moment there after finishing off a hat trick with the overtime winner while scoring three of Chicago’s four goals.
Another night like that would do plenty for him and for the Blackhawks, who could use two points against the St. Louis Blues.
In Other News...
Blackhawks Finally Won But One Big Concern Still Looms
The Blackhawks finally gave their home crowd something to celebrate, beating the Blues 4-2 at the United Center for their first home win of the season. It was a needed response after a sluggish start in front of their own fans, with Sam Rinzel, Anton Frondell, Cole Smith, Connor McMichael and Frank Nazar all finding the scoresheet in a game that had the building feeling a little lighter by the end.
Teuvo Teravainens departure in the second period with a lower-body injury quickly became the bigger concern, though, because this team has already spent enough time looking for stability. Chicago got the result it wanted, but the performance also left a reminder that a clean win can come with a cost, especially when a key forward is forced out and the details of his return remain uncertain. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Could Reshape Their Blue Line With One Bold Trade Push
The Blackhawks have spent plenty of time looking for ways to add real heft to their blue line, and the idea making the rounds now would give them a much more intriguing top pair. Chicago already has Bowen Byram as a key piece to build around, and the possibility of another young defenseman arriving from Detroit has naturally turned heads because it speaks to a bigger-picture reset on defense rather than a short-term patch.
What makes the conversation even more interesting is the price Chicago might have to consider if it decides to push hard. Any move of that size would force the Blackhawks to weigh present need against future value, with prospects and draft capital very much part of the discussion as they try to balance roster fit and salary-cap flexibility. Nothing has been reported officially, but the possibility alone underscores how aggressively Chicago could still reshape its defense if it finds the right deal. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Win Showed Exactly What This Young Core Still Lacks
The Blackhawks 4-2 win over the Blues at home offered a useful snapshot of where the rebuild stands: the young talent was visible, the energy was real and the contributions came from several of the players the organization is trying to build around. Frank Nazar, Artyom Levshunov and Anton Frondell all had moments that mattered, while Spencer Knight gave the group a steady backbone in goal with 26 saves.
Still, the result did not come with the kind of clean, complete performance that suggests this core is close to figuring everything out. The game included defensive lapses that kept St. Louis around, and the upcoming schedule will ask plenty of a roster still learning how to close out nights like this. For a team trying to turn promise into something more durable, the win was encouraging, but it also left the familiar question hanging in the background. [Read more 🡒]