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Jun 25, 2026

Buffalo Sabres land No. 4 pick in the draft after trading D Bowen Byram to the Chicago Blackhawks

Story byAssociated PressVideo Player CoverJOHN WAWROWWed, June 24, 2026 at 2:06 AM UTC·3 min read

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Sabres acquired the No. 4 pick in the NHL draft in a trade that sent defenseman Bowen Byram to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night.

As part of the deal, Buffalo also acquired third-year defenseman Louis Crevier, who had a career-best 25 points in his first full NHL season, and a second-round draft pick, 46th overall. Chicago also acquired hard-hitting forward Jordan Greenway.

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Byram is the key player in the trade.

The 25-year-old had a career-high 42 points and matched a career high with 11 goals in 82 games in spending much of the season playing alongside captain Rasmus Dahlin as Buffalo’s top defensive pairing. He was part of a deep and talented blue line that contributed to the Sabres winning their first Atlantic Division title and snapping an NHL-record 14-season playoff drought.

With the fourth pick, the Sabres are positioned to land a top prospect in a draft class that’s loaded with highly regarded defenseman. Among the defensive candidates expected to be available at No. 4 are Carson Carels (WHL Prince George), North Dakota’s Keaton Verhoeff and Latvia’s Alberts Smits.

Buffalo hosts the two-day draft that opens with Round 1 on Friday night.

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In Chicago, Byram adds offense to a team that finished eighth in the Central Division standings for a fourth straight season and hasn’t made the playoffs in six years. The Blackhawks have struggled to improve despite picking seventh or better in each of the past four drafts — a stretch that included them selecting Connor Bedard first overall in 2023.

Chicago has a group of promising young defensemen, including Artyom Levshunov — the No. 2 pick in the 2024 draft — and Kevin Korchinski — the No. 7 pick in 2022. But the Blackhawks needed another veteran leader on the blue line after trading Connor Murphy to Edmonton on March 2.

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