He’s only been the number one defenseman in Chicago for five games, but the doubts surrounding Bowen Byram’s ability are getting louder and louder.
After a 5-2 beatdown from the Carolina Hurricanes, the Blackhawks have fallen to 1-5-0. This rocky start is particularly frustrating given that the players spent all summer talking about playoffs, and how this season needs to be different.
It’s only been six games and things could change, but if the Hawks don’t turn this thing around real soon, they can kiss any playoffs hopes goodbye.
Analyzing the Blackhawks without Connor Bedard is like evaluating the San Jose Sharks without Macklin Celebrini, but the Hawks’ inability to play without him is concerning.
Still, the biggest storyline of the Blackhawks season so far has been the underwhelming play of Bowen Byram.
The Blackhawks made a statement when they gave up the fourth overall pick, Louis Crevier, and a second round pick for Byram. Then they signed him to a six-year, $75 million deal.
Those transactions told the hockey world two things. The Blackhawks are ready to compete, and Bowen Byram is a number one defenseman.
six games into the season and neither look to be true.
Byram has played five games this season, it would be six, but he missed his return to Buffalo because his wife was giving birth to twins.
Through those five games, Byram has zero points and is a -8. Byram was initially deployed on his off side with Alex Vlasic. The idea was to play Byram with a shutdown defenseman who can successfully retrieve pucks and allow Byram to flourish offensively, even if it means playing his off side.
Unfortunately, that duo wasn’t working out, so Jeff Blashill made a change after just two games. Since then, Byram has been playing on his natural left side with Artyom Levshunov.
Byram has looked better since the change, but still isn’t playing anywhere near the level he is supposed to be.
At 5-on-5, Byram has been on the ice for seven goals against, two goals for, and has a 47.06% corsi (via NaturalStatTrick).
Beyond just the numbers, Byram has looked slow, at times not engaged, and is struggling to connect on passes. This is especially concerning given how dominant he looked in the preseason.
Bowen Byram oozes confidence off the ice, and yet, through five games, he seems to have non when the puck drops.
The team as a whole has been struggling in pretty much every area of the game, so it’s not all on Byram. However, great players find a way when others can’t, that’s who Byram is supposed to be.
The main issue isn’t that Byram hasn’t been able to elevate his play to that of a number one defenseman, it’s that he hasn’t even been able to play to the level he has throughout his career so far.
Byram has been a reliable second/third defenseman with number one potential. However, so far in Chicago he’s looked more like a fifth or sixth.
Like I stated earlier, adding Connor Bedard to this lineup is going to help the team win games, but his presence alone can’t fix the individual performances of 23 other guys.
There are 78 games left to play, a lot can change, and a lot will change. The question is when will things change, and how drastic will that change be.
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