The Colorado Avalanche had bad luck at the end of the 2018-2019 season. Holder of the best chances to win the lottery, due to the choice obtained from the Ottawa Senators in the exchange involving Matt Duchene, sent to the Nashville Predators, the formation which plays in Denver had fallen three places.
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Despite having selected a fourth-round defenseman in the draft two years earlier in Cale Makar, the Avalanche doubled down by calling another fullback with the fourth-rounder in 2019: Bowen Byram.
The main interested party had thus had time to see Jack Hughes (New Jersey Devils), Kaapo Kakko (New York Rangers) and Kirby Dach (Chicago Blackhawks) on the podium before him. Byram is also very grateful to have fallen into the hands of the Avalanche that day.
“I happen to think about it. Certainly, I am very lucky to be in this position, admitted the back of the Avalanche, whose remarks were taken up by the daily newspaper Edmonton Sun. Some of my friends who have been chosen in positions similar to mine end up on struggling teams. […] I love the city and it’s fun to be on a winning team. I am very lucky.”
Whoever turns 21 on June 13 will celebrate his birthday with his first career appearance in the Stanley Cup Final.
Concussions that limit him
Considered one of the best prospects in his draft year, Byram has seen his development slowed by a few concussions.
In fact, the defenseman missed almost three months of activity in 2021-22, between January and April, because he had constant symptoms of previous concussions. He had quit his team after calling his dad, Shawn, to tell him he couldn’t “play feeling like this.” Byram had even considered the option of retirement, despite his young age.
He eventually returned to action and finished the 2021-2022 campaign with 17 points in 30 games.
“Of course, he’s a great prospect, a guy to get excited about,” head coach Jared Bednar said of Byram. He had a really tough time in his early years with injuries, but when he was healthy he was phenomenal for us. It gave us a lot of confidence to find him healthy and to feel good about himself. He can become a player who makes the difference.”
Byram has also taken advantage of the injury to Samuel Girard, whose sternum was fractured in Game 3 of the second-round series against the St. Louis Blues, to take his game up a notch and take on more responsibility. . The one who has seven points since the start of the playoffs has amassed six since Game 4 against the Blues. During that six-game streak, he spent more than 18 minutes on the ice on five occasions, surpassing 20 minutes per game twice.
