Blackhawks’ Bowen Byram Contract Looking Better All the Time

It is far too early to lump the extension in with some of the worst contracts in team history, for starters. On top of that, the Blackhawks may have been a victim of the marketplace. Quality defensemen come at a premium these days, and the Blackhawks paid on both fronts.

They hope they are getting a defenseman on the rise, one in his mid-20s, who can step in and become a top-pairing guy. Byram has shown growth and tremendous potential so far, justifying the risk. After all, acquiring a proven top-pairing defenseman is extremely rare and would have cost far more than what it took to land Byram.

The Cost of Potential is Higher Than Ever

Recent moves have also shown that it is costlier than ever to acquire high-end defensemen. Teams are handing out sizable contracts to players who have effectively done nothing in their careers, paying instead for the potential they believe these players have.

Two great examples are Zeev Buium of the Vancouver Canucks and Simon Nemec of the Calgary Flames. The Flames gave up a first-round pick and then handed Nemec a five-year, $36.25 million contract for 49 points in 155 career games. The Canucks gave Buium $9.38 million per season (eight years, $75.04 million) despite Buium posting 26 points in 76 career games.

Teams are having to pay exorbitant prices for completely unproven talent. Giving up what they did to get Byram was costly, yes, but the Blackhawks are at least getting something proven in return.

Byram Deal Could Have Positive Ripple Effects

The Byram move is important individually for the Blackhawks but may have a bigger impact on the rest of the defensive core. Alex Vlasic already looks like a long-term fixture, but there are still questions about whether the rest of the young core – Sam Rinzel, Artyom Levshunov, and Kevin Korchinski – can live up to their lofty draft statuses.

By bringing Byram into the fold, some of the pressure is off. Levshunov, in particular, will be given a little more leeway and patience as he (hopefully) develops into a top-four NHL defenseman. Vlasic and Byram will play all the big minutes, and the youngsters can find more favorable matchups with which to continue their development.

If Byram can take on the additional responsibility, improve even slightly on his 11 goals and 42 points, give the power play some pop from the point, and who himself to be a consistently responsible defender, it will be a huge win for the Blackhawks.

And if his presence can aid in the development of so many high draft picks, it will only prove to make his deal all the more worthwhile. A lot is riding on his sizable contract, but the risk feels much lower compared to some of the big deals that are being handed out based purely on potential.