Report: Blackhawks sign Bowen Byram to six-year extension

A new name in the Windy City is laying down roots for the future.

According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Chicago Blackhawks have signed defenseman Bowen Byram to a six-year contract extension. The deal, set to begin with the 2027-28 season, will carry an AAV of $12.5 million through the 2032-33 campaign.

Byram was eligible to sign an extension as of Wednesday morning, as he has just one year left on the two-year contract that he signed with the Buffalo Sabres in July 2025. That deal has an AAV of $6.25 million. As it stands, Byram would become the highest-paid defender in the NHL.

Byram made his way to Chicago last week, when the Sabres traded him and forward Jordan Greenway to the Blackhawks, in exchange for the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, a second-round pick and defenseman Louis Crevier.

There is no question that the 25-year-old is an exceptional talent. A shifty skater with an offensive upside. It’s clear why Chicago thinks so highly of Byram, and they will certainly have the cap space to pay him the big bucks.

Byram is coming off the best season of his six-year career in the league. In 82 games with Buffalo, he set career highs in goals (11), assists (31) and points (42), finishing ninth on the team in scoring. He also posted a plus/minus of +15 while averaging 22:20 of ice time per game. His efforts helped the Sabres clinch a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in 15 years, securing first place in the Atlantic Division as well. The Cranbrook, B.C. native posted seven points in 13 games in the postseason, with the Sabres winning a playoff series for the first time since 2007. The team ultimately lost to the Montreal Canadiens in a hard-fought seven-game series.

In 328 regular-season games, the former Colorado Avalanche blueliner has posted 44 goals and 108 assists for 152 points, with another 19 points in 40 playoff contests. Byram won a Stanley Cup with the Avs in 2022.