Have the Blackhawks done enough this offseason? Bowen Byram, youth will provide answer

Posted July 01, 2026 10:54 pm

By Scott Powers

A year from now, this Chicago Blackhawks offseason will be considered either a massive success or failure.

It’s not likely to be in between.

Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson bet this offseason and the coming season on 1) Bowen Byram evolving into an elite No. 1 defenseman, and 2) a number of the organization’s young players developing into legitimate and productive NHLers. Those two things have to happen for the Blackhawks to improve. Davidson’s offseason has consisted of paying a ton to acquire Byram, then a ton to extend Byram and finally adding an assortment of role players. Those role players, which include Ian Cole, Cole Smith and Jordan Greenway, fill important holes, but none of them is expected to be a miracle fix.

Byram is carrying that expectation, at least to a degree. The Blackhawks haven’t had a definitive No. 1 defenseman since Duncan Keith. That’s not to say Byram is Keith. Byram’s game is different. But the Blackhawks are anticipating Byram to become, next season and beyond, his own version of an elite No. 1 defenseman. The Blackhawks put up the trade pieces and then the contract to pay Byram as if he’s soon going to join the conversation of the league’s top defensemen. That’s where they firmly set the bar.

While many outsiders have cast doubt on Byram meeting that potential based on what he’s done so far in his career, Davidson has expressed unapologetic certainty that Byram will be just that once given the opportunity as a No. 1 defenseman with the Blackhawks and put alongside Davidson’s group of promising youth. On Wednesday, neither Byram nor Davidson shied away from the questions and expectations that come with a blockbuster trade and a $12.5 million cap hit on a six-year contract extension.

“The traits that Bo possesses are, in our opinion, elite ones,” Davidson said on Wednesday afternoon. “They’re ones that are in high, high demand around the league and they are ones that we believe when put into the position we’re going to put him in this year, demand a significant reward and compensation. So that’s something we believe he’s going to step into. He’s going to own it, he’s going to prove it and be worth the investment we’re placing in him. We’ve known and watched Bo for a long time, and he’s someone we believe in a great, great deal. It’s obvious through what we traded for him and what we’ve given in the extension. So we have all the confidence in the world that he’s going to live up to that and be a difference maker for us for a long time.”

Byram doesn’t lack confidence. He believes he can be what Davidson expects. It’s why Byram didn’t settle for a contract extension with the Buffalo Sabres. It’s why he wasn’t just going to sign a long-term deal with any team the Sabres traded him to. It’s why he asked for so much money from the Blackhawks. Byram thinks the Blackhawks paid the price for what they’re going to get.

“I think the reason I’m standing in front of you guys in Chicago today is because they believe in me and how I play, the player I am,” Byram said on Wednesday. “So I don’t think I necessarily need to change anything. Do I think I can be better and evolve? One hundred percent. I think I’m going to get the opportunity to do so here, and I’m super excited for that. But I also think I’m ready for it physically, mentally, on the ice, off the ice, whatever it might be to do so. I’m just super excited.”

The proof will be in the 2026-27 season. There’s no escaping that. From his production to his analytics to how the Blackhawks perform around him, it’ll all be thoroughly evaluated and measured by what the Blackhawks traded away and how much he was given. If Byram can live up to Davidson’s vision, the trade and contract will be all so worth it.

The same can be said about their young players. The reality is that predictive models will not be kind to the Blackhawks’ projected lineup next season if their roster remains where it was as of Wednesday. The Blackhawks are going to get dragged by the analytics and online hockey communities for the coming months. The Byram trade was widely disliked, and Davidson’s lack of other offseason moves, especially not adding offensive talent around Connor Bedard, was met with similar disdain. Many people thought the Blackhawks would do more this offseason, especially as they still hold nearly $30 million of cap space and numerous 2027 first-round draft assets.

That’s not how Davidson pictured this offseason, though. He was up for making a major move, and Byram was that. Davidson never thought he had to bring in someone for Bedard. For one, Roman Kantserov’s arrival is often lumped outside of the Blackhawks’ offseason moves because he was an internal prospect signing, but his addition was so vital to Davidson’s plan. The GM’s belief in Byram isn’t that far from his belief in Kantserov. He sees Kantserov as a top-line winger, someone who can play with Bedard. Davidson has said a few times, sort of subtly, how he thinks fans may not be as excited as they should be about Kantserov.

Kantserov, along with a full season of Anton Frondell in the NHL, the end of Nick Lardis’ season on the top line, Frank Nazar’s high-end offensive production in spurts and Bedard’s next step in his stardom are driving Davidson’s belief that he already has enough within the organization to fill a top six and more. Davidson has said he hopes Bedard, Frondell and Nazar are his top three centers, but he also said Wednesday it was possible they could shift players around to play with Bedard or elsewhere. The roles may change, but Davidson is confident in the group.

The question that jumps off the page, based on last season’s team and the Blackhawks’ offseason additions, is where the offense will come from. On paper, it appears as if it’ll be an issue. Davidson doesn’t agree, and part of that goes back to Byram and what the Blackhawks can potentially do with him at five-on-five, on the power play and even in overtime. If the Blackhawks had a better record in overtimes and shootouts, their season would have been perceived differently.

“I’m a big believer that offense starts from the back out,” Davidson said. “Adding someone like Byram to our group is going to make us a more potent offensive team, especially someone that we feel is not only more seasoned in the NHL but ready to step into a role where he’s running the power play and adding another dynamic, another level to that power play. Then we’ve got a bunch of young players who can get more mature and comfortable in the league. The question is how much more? But as they grow in the league, that’s going to happen.

“You’ve got a guy like Kantserov who’s proven in a men’s league he can produce. Obviously, this is a different challenge, and there’s probably some growth and acclimation required for him in the North American game, but all the belief in the world — and not blind faith — he’s going to come in and add offense to this group. There’s a number of guys across the board that should improve their production, but certainly the addition of Bowen Byram will be a big help.”

Davidson’s answer continued with his belief that defensemen Artyom Levshunov, Sam Rinzel, Wyatt Kaiser and Alex Vlasic can also improve and help bolster the offense. Davidson’s plan from the start was to build the Blackhawks through the draft, and he still hangs the future on those players. But again, there will be a point where judgment will have to be made on what Davidson has built and whether his plan has worked.

Right now, Davidson’s confidence in all of it hasn’t wavered.

“I believe there are young pieces and players that we truly do believe in that we think can be serious impact contributors in the NHL and for us,” Davidson said. “So we’re excited to see them continue to grow and, in some cases, get their first NHL experience. Then also, the additions we’ve made will be impactful ones. So it’s an exciting time. Sometimes internal growth and players just organically coming through the system isn’t the most exciting and riveting thing for people. But when you have the players that we believe we have and will show the necessary growth over the summer, but also in the coming seasons, it leaves a lot of exciting upside here.

“So again, that doesn’t mean that, pencils down and we’ll see everyone in September. The phone’s not getting turned off. So you’re always going, always pushing and always exploring. But if this is our group, we feel we’ve plugged some holes, we’ve left opportunities for youth and continued growth and we believe that we’re going to be a much improved group from last year.”

At this time next year, we’ll know one way or another for sure, and it’ll all go back to this offseason.