On Tuesday night, Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson did what so many fans have accused him of being incapable of doing: he parted ways with one of his top draft assets. And he did it in spectacular fashion, causing the hockey talk in Chicago to overwhelm the conversation about the first round of the NBA draft.

The Bowen Byram trade has been roundly obliterated by pundits, analysts, and talking heads overnight. After the trade was consummated and I finished writing about the news component last night — and reading the first 20 minutes of replies — I put my phone down, went outside, and had a cigar.

I then went to bed. And slept on it. With a clear mind, another lit cigar, and enough caffeine in me to put a small horse into shock, let’s take a step back from the initial shock of the trade and talk about the realities of the situation.

There are a lot of elements to unpack here, but let’s start with the big picture. And then talk about the cost of doing business. And then, where the Blackhawks go from here.

Let’s REALLY Talk About the Blackhawks Trade for Bowen Byram (via Tab Bamford)

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