sports
Blackhawks Sign Bowen Byram to Six-Year, $12.5 Million Deal Starting 2027-28
The Chicago Blackhawks signed defenseman Bowen Byram to a six-year contract worth $12.5 million annually. Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar enter the final year of their current deals with projected values between $15 million and $20 million per year.
Jul 9, 8:21 AM·1m read1 source
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The Chicago Blackhawks signed Bowen Byram to a six-year contract worth $12.5 million annually that begins in the 2027-28 season. ESPN reported that the 25-year-old Byram became the NHL's highest-paid defenseman with the deal, which followed his June 23 trade from the Buffalo Sabres. Byram had been entering the final season of a two-year bridge contract paying $6.25 million per year.
Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar will enter unrestricted free agency after the 2026-27 season. Hughes is completing a six-year contract worth $7.85 million annually after winning the Norris Trophy in 2024 and being traded in December to the Minnesota Wild. Makar is finishing a six-year deal at $9 million per year after leading the Colorado Avalanche to the Stanley Cup in 2022.
An unnamed agent told ESPN that the projected annual value for Hughes and Makar ranges from $15 million to $20 million. The agent noted that such figures approach NBA comparables while complicating team-building efforts. ESPN reported that the NHL salary cap has risen from $81.5 million in the 2021-22 season to $104 million for 2026-27.
Prior contracts set lower benchmarks. Drew Doughty and Erik Karlsson signed eight-year deals worth $11 million and $11.5 million annually starting in 2019-20. Rasmus Dahlin received an eight-year, $11 million AAV contract in 2023.
Thomas Harley signed for $10.587 million AAV and Evan Bouchard for $10.5 million AAV in 2025.
