The Chicago Blackhawks made a big trade on Tuesday that involved sending the 4th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft to the Buffalo Sabres, with defenseman Bowen Byram coming the other way.

On Wednesday, the Blackhawks made Kyle Davidson available to the media, and he went over a variety of topics. Of course, he started by addressing the trade that had taken place the day prior. 

"This was a value that we put on a really, really good young player in Bo," Davidson said. "He fits the style of play we want to play."

There is a lot of value to adding a defenseman like Byram to this group. For one, he's a great offensive defenseman who continues to work on his game in his own end. He is also a Stanley Cup champion with a pedigree of winning in the NHL with two different organizations. It will be helpful for the younger guys to have him around. 

"Our young players like Sam Rinzel and Arty Levshunov are going to sit behind Bo and learn from him," Davidson said. "It's immediate help. [He] makes us a better team." 

The Blackhawks have already drafted several defensemen over Kyle Davidson's tenure. They are all working their way to being good in the NHL, but it takes time, especially with that position. Byram was no exception to that rule earlier in his career. Now, he's at a point where he is ready to be a number one ahead of their youth. 

There was some backlash against this move for Chicago. They gave up a lot to get Bowen Byram, including their number one trade chip in the number four overall pick. Davidson said that Byram doesn't have to do anything specific to make it a positive return on investment because his natural progression is going to be the value.

"I think we look at a young defenseman who's not only accomplished, but one that is not done getting better or growing his own game and own profile," Davidson said. "We feel that over the next couple of weeks, we can find [a contract] where we can make sure he's here for a long time. He's already one of the top 5-on-5 play drivers in the league before he even gets on the first power play unit. We're going to provide the opportunity to become one of the top defenseman around the league."

The draft picks weren't the only pieces given up for Byram. Chicago also sent Louis Crevier, who had a great year going from the team's 7th defenseman to the top pair in 2025-26, to Buffalo. 

"You've got to give to get. [Crevier] was part of the give," Davidson said on sending Crevier away. "In our estimation, we had to provide something of value, and obviously Buffalo felt that too." 

Kyle Davidson was asked about Connor Bedard as well. He made it clear that they are going to keep any conversations about his pending contract situation private. He won't reveal anything until a deal is complete.

When it comes to finding a legit NHL linemate for Bedard, it sounds like Davidson is confident in what they have currently, while also acknowledging that they are always looking. 

Davidson highlighted Roman Kantserov during this discussion, who is coming over after leading the KHL in goals last year. He said that if they signed him as a free agent rather than drafting and signing him, people would be more confident in him as Bedard's potential winger. 

It is curious to assume that a rookie coming from overseas is going to step into the NHL and be a capable winger for one of the game's best young centers, but that is the direction that they are choosing to go. 

Speaking of free agency, Davidson was asked about Ilya Mikheyev's situation, and he confirmed that it is likely that he tests the open market on July 1st. Davidson didn't completely rule out Mikheyev's return, but the player is going to go shopping. 

Going back to Bowen Byram later in the presser, Davidson didn't hesitate to use the word elite. Byram being elite, according to Davidson, will go into their commitment to paying him good money for a long time. 

"We believe in this guy," said Davidson. "We believe he's a very good player, and one that can be elite. We need to respect that and honor that. That's something we have to reckon with in the negotiations. We're ok paying great players."

It wouldn't be very surprising if Byram extends right away on July 1st. With the way he spoke about Chicago and the way Davidson spoke about him, it seems like a mutual interest. 

"We all want to improve. We all want to take meaningful steps. That's the motivation." 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay up to date on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.