Prospect Info: Bowen Byram - Canada’s Savior - Thread 2.0

[Pierce Hawthorne]

He doesn't have #1 offense. I think he's a high end #3 right now who benefits when he doesn't have to play first pairing minutes.

Girard?


He would have hit 40 points if we played 82 games... For a guy not playing top PP minutes that is absolutely #1D level offense.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

He doesn't have #1 offense. I think he's a high end #3 right now who benefits when he doesn't have to play first pairing minutes.

What? 31st among NHL defenseman in scoring. Plus his defense and transition game moves him way up from there. Sam Girard might be the best transition defenseman in hockey.

 

[avsfan9]

Ideally:

#1: Makar
#2: Byram
#3: Girard

If we can have this then we're in business. G on the second pairing can play with pretty much any type of dman. If Timmins then fine, if someone else then fine too as long as it's a RHD, Girard isn't nearly as good when he's playing on the right side.

It's also possible that Byram has to be the PMD on his pairing, in this case he'd play on the 2nd pair and G would play with Makar.

#4 Timmins

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

#4 Timmins

What's incredible, is that if these 4 guys can hit the upside they're capable of... We're gonna have a Defense that rivals what Nashville had for a number of years when it was Josi/Subban/Ekholm/Ellis. But, we will also have a Nathan Mackinnon that Nashville never had anythung close to in those days.

 

[avsfan9]

What's incredible, is that if these 4 guys can hit the upside they're capable of... We're gonna have a Defense that rivals what Nashville had for a number of years when it was Josi/Subban/Ekholm/Ellis. But, we will also have a Nathan Mackinnon that Nashville never had anythung close to in those days.

And Rants. We’re going to be a dominant team and the envy of the league

 

[Ararana]

We're going to need a new nickname for Turn and Burn because Makar and Byram will be the new offensive force pairing to be put out there.

Between Makar and Girard is quite a window in offensive capability, I think it's safe to say he falls somewhere in there as the Avs second best offensive forward and settles in quite easily as Makar's partner on the top pairing.

I personally think he'll surpass both Makar and Girard in defensive ability and be the new EJ the Avs rollout late when they want to protect a lead. Unlike Makar or Girard, I think Byram will play on both PP and PK units.

Overall I think it will quite easily be Makar > Byram > Girard > Timmins.

Hot take: If Byram can translate his offense without sacrificing much he will overall be a better player than Makar because he has a much better defensive game than Makar (i.e. MacKinnon and McDavid). But Makar has the full out elite offense and (unlike McDavid) doesn't suck defensively so he will, by many, be considered the better player.

 

[henchman21]

I expect a #2D, and anything less would be a disappointment. You don't spend a top 5 pick on a player to hopefully get a middle pairing level. It certainly happens, but it is always a disappointment. You want a true #1 and would settle for a #2.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

We're going to need a new nickname for Turn and Burn because Makar and Byram will be the new offensive force pairing to be put out there.

Between Makar and Girard is quite a window in offensive capability, I think it's safe to say he falls somewhere in there as the Avs second best offensive forward and settles in quite easily as Makar's partner on the top pairing.

I personally think he'll surpass both Makar and Girard in defensive ability and be the new EJ the Avs rollout late when they want to protect a lead. Unlike Makar or Girard, I think Byram will play on both PP and PK units.

Overall I think it will quite easily be Makar > Byram > Girard > Timmins.

Hot take: If Byram can translate his offense without sacrificing much he will overall be a better player than Makar because he has a much better defensive game than Makar (i.e. MacKinnon and McDavid). But Makar has the full out elite offense and (unlike McDavid) doesn't suck defensively so he will, by many, be considered the better player.

I don’t know man.

After what I’ve seen from Makar in the playoffs as a rookie, I’m not sure Byram is even going to be as good defensively as Makar, let alone much better.

I think Byram will eventually be solid defensively, but I am still a little concerned with some of his flat-footed defensive play in junior.

 

[Ararana]

I don’t know man.

After what I’ve seen from Makar in the playoffs as a rookie, I’m not sure Byram is even going to be as good defensively as Makar, let alone much better.

I think Byram will eventually be solid defensively, but I am still a little concerned with some of his flat-footed defensive play in junior.

We need to get Craig Button in this thread to raise the hype level

 

[Cousin Eddie]

I want nothing to do with a Byram-Makar pairing. Both are too good at creating offense that they’d almost be cutting into one another’s positives.

Girard - Makar
Byram - Timmins/EJ

 

[tigervixxxen]

Byram needs the org commitment to have him achieve top pair for him to get there. It’s really tough to peg without seeing what plan, if any, they have for him.

If they see him as an auxiliary option to the top 4 and slow play him to get there it’s going to be a lot different than seeing him as a top 4 option to start (beyond the obvious rookie get your feet wet third pair stuff) and go from there.

He’s an offensive defenseman but tends to find his way to more minutes. I do think he will take over some of EJ’s role and is more likely to PK than Girard and Makar. But again, how many years until we get there is a huge factor plus how many veterans are brought in to supplement those things in the interim.

If we are talking in a vacuum I don’t see his offense being any worse than Girard and his defense being any worse than Makar with regular usage so it’s just up to how they want to line up their pairs and what roles each are given.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

I want nothing to do with a Byram-Makar pairing. Both are too good at creating offense that they’d almost be cutting into one another’s positives.

Girard - Makar
Byram - Timmins/EJ

Bingo

 

[CobraAcesS]

@BrickNHL?

Hmm, Brewer is coming to mind here.

I want nothing to do with a Byram-Makar pairing. Both are too good at creating offense that they’d almost be cutting into one another’s positives.

Girard - Makar
Byram - Timmins/EJ

I have had that same thought personally. Byram's offensive skill set seems to be shoot first. I could actually see him hitting 20/30 rather than 15/35 in a couple of his prime years. The kid loves to shoot the puck. Once he figures out how to get it through at the NHL level, or if he is even a little more assertive than Makar in getting in close woo boy.

I could see those at times during games, but I bet it looks something more like;

Graves - Makar
Girard - Timmins
Byram - EJ

for most of the year. The ability to role those three replicates what having Barrie did for us as well.

Also #2 needs to his floor, all situations two way D.

 

[MarkT]

I personally find it quite cute to see people arguing over preferred defensive pairings which include two players who have basically never played in the NHL. Carry on though. It's basically the whole point of message boards.

 

[Admiral Awesome]

I wish I could say but I know next to nothing about him so...

 

[CobraAcesS]

I personally find it quite cute to see people arguing over preferred defensive pairings which include two players who have basically never played in the NHL. Carry on though. It's basically the whole point of message boards.

You playin with fire tryin to let the air out of our balloon talking about prospects.

 

[The Kingslayer]

Hes the next Torey Krug.

 

[GoNordiquesGo]

That's the thing, I think even 50 points is a long shot. Maybe in a career year where the Avs offense goes off again, but 30-40 is more where I see it for most of his career. Like I said, you see his numbers in the WHL and think they go down a little to 40-50 points, but I think they likely drop a bit more than you'd expect because of the style he plays and the advantages he has at the junior level. Some of the things that make him pop in the WHL will evaporate against NHL competition.

50 points is a hell of a lot for a blueliner. Most years, that would put you close to the top 10 in D scoring. And top 10 offense in the NHL is just not what I think his potential is, if we're being realistic. He'll more than pull his weight as a two-way pivot to make up for not being John Carlson, but offensive star is just setting your sights too high.

Agreed. You don't/rarely get to 50 points in this league as a Dman without playing 1st PP and he won't do that with Makar ahead of him. That alone should dampen people's expectation in terms of points.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

I just want him to be a much bigger and grittier version of Girard. Is that too much to ask?

 

[tigervixxxen]

Agreed. You don't/rarely get to 50 points in this league as a Dman without playing 1st PP and he won't do that with Makar ahead of him. That alone should dampen people's expectation in terms of points.

Maybe the Avs figure out a mind blowing revolutionary 2D PP!

I agree it’s easy to just say oh that guy will score 50+ and the reality is much more difficult to achieve. But Byram should have an offensive impact of significance, he has that talent.

Makar is power, Girard is elusive, Byram is smooth. All are intelligent, great skating, competitive and can move the puck. Byram likes to carry the puck as much as Girard if not more and shoot it as much as Makar (I think Cale can get his shooting volume up to his NCAA levels).

 

[avsfan09]

I don’t know man.

After what I’ve seen from Makar in the playoffs as a rookie, I’m not sure Byram is even going to be as good defensively as Makar, let alone much better.

I think Byram will eventually be solid defensively, but I am still a little concerned with some of his flat-footed defensive play in junior.

I think some of he needs to play at a higher level for his defense to grow. He seems like the type who does better when pushed and he won't be able to get away with some of his junior habits in the NHL. To me it's just a matter of growing to be a professional and he has the traits to get there quite easily imo

 

[McMetal]

I think some of he needs to play at a higher level for his defense to grow. He seems like the type who does better when pushed and he won't be able to get away with some of his junior habits in the NHL. To me it's just a matter of growing to be a professional and he has the traits to get there quite easily imo

Agreed. I don't see any further benefit to his game to be found in another year in juniors. He has good fundamentals defensively already, the next step is applying those existing skills to NHL speed and talent. There will be some hiccups and some mistakes to be made and learned from, but he has to make them sometime so it may as well be next season.

 

[Foppa Frossa]

Eventually I want to see him become our next EJ-type player. Log big minutes 5v5, PK1 and PP2. This is what I want.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Eventually I want to see him become our next EJ-type player. Log big minutes 5v5, PK1 and PP2. This is what I want.

I think that will be the goal with him as well.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

Do you guys think he takes PP2 from Girard as well?