Bowen Byram’s move to Chicago came with a hefty price tag, but it turns out the Blackhawks weren’t the only team willing to pay up.
Before the draft, Chicago landed the defenseman from Buffalo in a deal that included the fourth-overall pick, then followed that trade by signing Byram to a six-year, $75MM extension earlier this month. That number drew attention right away. But according to his agent, Darren Ferris, there was an even richer path available.
Ferris said on the PuckPedia Hockey Show that a four-year, $56MM offer - a $14MM annual average value - was on the table after trade discussions with another team had advanced far enough for Buffalo to give permission to talk extension terms. In the end, Byram chose the longer Chicago deal, which also included full trade protection.
Ferris did not identify the other club, but he did say Chicago offered Byram a better tax situation.
The 25-year-old is coming off his strongest season, finishing with 11 goals and 31 assists in 82 games despite not being used in a top role. Ferris said Buffalo wanted to keep him, but Byram was looking for a bigger opportunity, and he’ll get that with the Blackhawks. Based on the size of the reported offer from the unnamed team, it’s reasonable to think he would have had a chance to play as a No. 1 defenseman there too.
The timing of the Chicago extension also matters. Byram’s new deal does not begin until the 2027-28 season, when he’ll be 26.
If he had taken the four-year offer and been moved, his next contract would have come in his age-30 season. At that point, a max-term deal would still have been possible, and likely even more expensive if he continued on this track.
Instead, his next negotiation arrives in his age-32 season, when landing another max-term contract could be tougher, even if the next seven years in Chicago change the picture.
When Kyle Davidson made the deal to get Byram, some wondered whether the Blackhawks had overpaid in both the trade and the extension. On the contract side, at least, Ferris’ comments show another team was prepared to go higher - a reminder of how aggressive the market has become as the salary cap keeps climbing.
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