The Chicago Blackhawks are signing defenceman Bowen Byram to a six-year, $75 million contract that carries a cap hit of $12.5 million.
Later on Wednesday, the Blackhawks added forward Cole Smith on a three-year, $9 million contract and veteran defenceman Ian Cole on a $4.75 million contract.
Byram’s extension will kick in next summer and comes just after the Blackhawks acquired Byram from the Buffalo Sabres last week in a deal that included the fourth-overall pick in the draft heading the other way.
As part of the deal, Buffalo also acquired third-year defenceman Louis Crevier and a second-round draft pick, with Chicago also getting forward Jordan Greenway. Buffalo used the fourth overall pick to select blueliner Daxon Rudolph on Friday night.
With the new deal in Chicago, Byram is currently scheduled to be the Blackhawks highest-paid player for 2027-28 with a cap hit nearly double of next in line Frank Nazar at $6.59 million. Byram, though, could quickly be passed at the top though as Connor Bedard hits restricted free agency Wednesday.
As it stands now, Byram is scheduled to be the NHL’s highest-paid blueliner for 2027-28 as he blows past former teammate Rasmus Dahlin’s cap hit of $11 million. Stars Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes are now both eligible for new contracts and could soon take the baton from Byram.
Byram, 25, registered 11 goals and 42 points in 82 games with the Sabres last season while averaging 22:20 of ice time and a plus-15 rating.
He added four goals and seven points in 13 playoff games while averaging 22:24 of ice time before his team was eliminated in the second round.
The 6-foot-1, left-shot blueliner is entering the final season of a two-year, $12.5 million contract that carries a cap hit of $6.25 million for next season.
Byram was acquired by the Sabres from the Colorado Avalanche in March of 2024 in exchange for forward Casey Mittelstadt.
Drafted fourth overall by the Avalanche in 2019, Byram has 44 goals and 152 points in 328 career games split between the Avalanche and Sabres.
Byram also helped the Avalanche to a Stanley Cup championship in 2022, recording nine assists in 20 games during their playoff run with a plus-15 rating while averaging 19:22 of ice time.
Smith joins Blackhawks
Smith, 30, signs with the Blackhawks after splitting time last season between the Nashville Predators and the Vegas Golden Knights.
He posted eight goals and 12 points in 63 games between the two teams. He added three goals and six points in 22 playoff games during Vegas’ run to the Stanley Cup Final.
He carried a cap hit of $1 million under his previous contract.
Cole, 37, registered three goals and 23 points in 82 games last season while averaging 18:16 of ice time. He added a goal and two points in six playoff games before the Mammoth were eliminated in the first round.
The 6-foot-1, left-shot blueliner is coming off a one-year, $2.8 million contract.
Drafted 18th overall by the St. Louis Blues in 2007, Cole has 38 goals and 233 points in 990 points split between the Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets, Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vancouver Canucks, and Mammoth.
Cole is a two-time Stanley Cup champion after helping the Penguins to back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017.
