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The Buffalo Sabres have acquired the No. 4 overall pick in Friday's NHL Draft in an absolutely stunning deal.
It took sending Bowen Byram to the Chicago Blackhawks to get that, and the Sabres are getting more in return, too.
The news made an effort at flying under the radar, because it happened smack dab in the middle of the NBA Draft on Tuesday night.
But this one is big news in the hockey world. Byram is a blockbuster acquisition.
4th overall pick included…and some other players https://t.co/NqwNPVm494
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 24, 2026Why did the Sabres trade Bowen Byram?
There are two reasons Buffalo did this deal.
One: Byram didn't want to sign a long-term deal with the Sabres. That would make him a free agent after the 2026-27 season.
Buffalo didn't want to lose Byram for nothing. Instead, they swapped him for a ton.
The second reason? The chance to pick a game changer that high in the draft is incredible. The Sabres have a strong young core, and they'll get to add to it -- or they could shock even more and move that pick along for something else huge.
MORE: It's time to ask a serious Matthew Knies question
Why did the Blackhawks trade for Bowen Byram?
The Blackhawks are simply ready to win now.
They've rebuilt for a few seasons. They have the face of the franchise, Connor Bedard. Now, they've got Byram to join the party.
Byram is a rising star defenseman who took over games during the playoffs.
He's 25 years old, originally the No. 4 overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft.
He won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche before coming to Buffalo.
Byram played all 82 regular season games in the 2025-26 NHL season and put up 42 points -- 11 goals and 31 assists.
He wants to be a No. 1 defenseman somewhere, and that role is taken in Buffalo by Rasmus Dahlin.
The Blackhawks are looking to put together an even more impressive core around Bedard, and now they've got another piece.
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