Prospect Info: 4th Overall, Bowen Byram, Defence

[avsfan9]

Doubt Newhook makes it

You think there’s 13 better forwards than Newhook?

 

[Tweaky]

Hayton, Veleno and Lafreniere are the only possible (forward) holdovers from that years roster. Fair chance Hayton stays in Arizona, though the other two should be there barring injury. Cozens, Krebs, Tomasino and Suzuki seem like locks to join Newhook in moving up from the U18 roster last year. Akil Thomas would be on my prelim roster as well. Poulin, Foote, and Pelletier also. Not sure who else to add...Foudy?

For the defense, Byram is about as close to a lock as there is this year. Out of the eligible players from last year, Dobson is likely to stick in NYI, but McIssac and Smith are/should be back in juniors already. Not sure McIssac deserves a spot though. Harley would be a safe bet. After that, I am not sure.

Not going to guess on goalies. I have ideas, but...

 

[Avs71]

If Byram made the Avs, he may be the youngest looking player the team has ever had. He looks young for an 18 year old forward making the team, let alone playing defence. Guys like Doughty, Bogosian, Dahlin, Ekblad, and Schenn at least looked like they were over 18 when they joined the NHL.

Happy to see him grow, mature, and get stronger outside the NHL. Seems to have worked for Makar.

 

[MarkT]

Count me is as someone happy he was sent down. He didn't look ready in any sense. He didn't look defensively ready, offensively ready, physically ready, or mentally ready. He needs to work on everything and give it another shot next year. Meanwhile he can try to dominate the WHL and the World Juniors. If he doesn't develop this year that's on him.

 

[Vaslof]

If we picked a forward they'd probably have made the team with just an OK camp performance. We're just way deeper on defense atm.

 

[AvsCOL]

You think there’s 13 better forwards than Newhook?

I think Newhook will make it, but they'll utilize him in a 3rd/4th line role so you won't notice him much. The bias in the Canadian hockey association is very real. You can almost guarantee Kirby Dach will be centering LaFreniere and Veleno, and it doesn't really matter if anyone outplays them, they're that stubborn.

Look at how Cale Makar was held back by Kale Clague the year he played well in the WJC. Was clearly the better defenseman, but Canada had their minds made up before the tournament even started that Clague was better.

 

[Ararana]

If we didnt have Rosen and Timmins playing well I think we might have seen Bo suit up for sure.

Very true. The defensive depth probably played a huge factor here.

Good new is the mem cup and world juniors are going to be super fun for us now. Not to mention all the highlights we're going to get of Byram destroying the WHL again.

 

[Foppa2118]

If we picked a forward they'd probably have made the team with just an OK camp performance. We're just way deeper on defense atm.

They picked a forward a year ago in Kaut. He's physically ready for the NHL and had a pretty decent camp but they still didn't rush him.

 

[Foppa Frossa]

Seems to be doing OK. Really wish he was eligible to play in Loveland.

 

[Ararana]

Ridiculous he has to play there

 

[S E P H]

I would've loved to loan him to SC Bern, but Byram doesn't seem like the type of bloke who would want to do that.

 

[wayninja]

Seems to be doing OK. Really wish he was eligible to play in Loveland.

Forgive the ignorance, but what makes him ineligible? His age?

 

[AvsWraith]

So when he comes to camp next year and still isn't used to NHL play, does he go back to juniors again?

 

[Avs44]

I would've loved to loan him to SC Bern, but Byram doesn't seem like the type of bloke who would want to do that.

Yeah, I really wish some of these kids would be more open to going to Europe. I get the CHL's rules and why they insist on it, but I don't think it helps some of these prospects at all to play down there when they really need to be somewhere in between the CHL and NHL.

 

[Ararana]

So when he comes to camp next year and still isn't used to NHL play, does he go back to juniors again?

I’m sure he’ll be so ready for the NHL after he tears up the same level of competition for the second time. That’s how this works right?

At least he’ll get a month of competitive play at WJCs.

I would've loved to loan him to SC Bern, but Byram doesn't seem like the type of bloke who would want to do that.

Playing on big ice wouldn’t worry you there?

 

[avsfan09]

Imagine to be able to ease Girard into the line up, let Makar make his debut during the playoffs, have Timmins waiting to go and on top of that can afford to send Byram back.

And still have guys like EJ, Cole and Zadorov around.

Exactly. His demotion is about our depth for once rather than him not being capable.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

Exactly. His demotion is about our depth for once rather than him not being capable.

It was about both, to be honest. He didn’t look ready but some of the other guys made it an easy call.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Exactly. His demotion is about our depth for once rather than him not being capable.

Certainly disagree on that. He was not ready for the NHL.

 

[McMetal]

Forgive the ignorance, but what makes him ineligible? His age?

The CHL and NHL have an agreement wherein drafted prospects from the CHL have to play in either the NHL or the CHL, no AHL time. It has to do with the CHL's desire to keep their star players in their own system to sell tickets rather than lose them to a different development league. And since CHL players aren't eligible for the NCAA (they're considered "professional" ), that basically means they're stuck there unless they're full time in the NHL.

Europe is technically an option, as a loophole in the agreement, but in practice that never happens.

Count me in as saying that Byram will benefit very little from more WHL play. He already benefits too much offensively from the lack of structure down there; he won't learn NHL style offense at all in that setting. And his defensive game is already quite well developed at that level also, I don't see how he's going to develop much more in that area either against WHL talent. It sucks that he's caught in no man's land due to that agreement, because a year in the AHL would be perfect for him.

 

[avsfan09]

It was about both, to be honest. He didn’t look ready but some of the other guys made it an easy call.

I’m not disagreeing but I think lot of teams would have played him this season had they drafted them.

 

[avsfan09]

Certainly disagree on that. He was not ready for the NHL.

I think a lot of teams would have put him in regardless but we have a pretty good left side for once imo.

 

[Goulet17]

Seems to be doing OK. Really wish he was eligible to play in Loveland.

 

[S E P H]

Playing on big ice wouldn’t worry you there?

Nah, IMHO the only position which worries me about the ice change is goaltending and even then they eventually get accustomed to it.

 

[Avs_19]

Another assist last night but was also -3. Miner got lit up again.

 

[Goulet17]