Prospect Info: Bowen Byram - D [2019: 4th Overall] Part II: Now serving a side of overconfidence!

[xbestboybandever]

Z forfeited his toughness card when he just stood there and let Lucic punch him in the face.

 

[Balthazar]

I see what you're saying. I thought we were talking about toughness in relation to him getting pushed around a bit. Which I attribute more to balance and awareness issues..

Tony Twist could barely skate and he was pretty tough. It has nothing to do with skating and balance.

 

[Foppa2118]

Tony Twist could barely skate and he was pretty tough. It has nothing to do with skating and balance.

Tony Twist is 6'1' though. Zadorov is 6'5".

You don't think the ability to be pushed around every once in a while on the ice has something to do with balance on skates, and how low/high your center of gravity is? As well as your awareness to see the contact coming, and brace for it?

 

[Balthazar]

Tony Twist is 6'1' though. Zadorov is 6'5".

You don't think the ability to be pushed around every once in a while on the ice has something to do with balance on skates, and how low/high your center of gravity is? As well as your awareness to see the contact coming, and brace for it?

Zadorov isn't tough. He regularly skates away during scrums, he doesn't know how to fight and he acts like he doesn't want to get hurt when someone gets in his face and the ref isn't there. I'm not calling him a p***y but he just isn't tough. Plenty of big players aren't tough, no big deal.

 

[Foppa2118]

Zadorov isn't tough. He regularly skates away during scrums, he doesn't know how to fight and he acts like he doesn't want to get hurt when someone gets in his face and the ref isn't there. I'm not calling him a p***y but he just isn't tough. Plenty of big players aren't tough, no big deal.

I think we're just looking at what makes someone "tough" differently. And that's fine.

I think Zadorov skates away from scrums because Bednar emphasizes all the time that he wants ALL his players playing between the whistles. Landy skates away from scrums all the time now too. I'm sure we agree he's plenty tough.

Fighting in hockey is more a skill and balance issue than it is a toughness issue. Sure toughness comes into play, but it doesn't matter how tough you are if you can't keep your balance, while someone is grabbing you and trying to throw you off balance while you're in ice skates.

Z has balance problems like Mikko and some poor on ice awareness at times. These are the main factors for him not playing "tough" all the time, along with Bednar trying to neuter his game a bit to cut down on penalties.

I don't think Zadorov is all that tough for how big he is, but I don't look at toughness in hockey as a pound for pound thing. More of an absolute thing. With Z's size and strength, I think he's plenty tough compared to the rest of the league.

Now if they would have kept all the big physical players and enforcers that couldn't skate with the old rules, then it would be a different story.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Do you like Morgan Rielly as a comp for Byram?

Similar WHL production, I think Byram was a little better.

Both good skaters, each have excellent puck-skills and a dangerous wrist shot.

I think Byram was viewed as a more complete defenceman coming out of the draft, but there’s definitely some similarities.

 

[Foppa2118]

Z forfeited his toughness card when he just stood there and let Lucic punch him in the face.

So did Landy then.

If we can't all agree Landy is "tough" then I don't know what we can agree on.

 

[Balthazar]

Do you like Morgan Rielly as a comp for Byram?

Similar WHL production, I think Byram was a little better.

Both good skaters, each have excellent puck-skills and a dangerous wrist shot.

I think Byram was viewed as a more complete defenceman coming out of the draft, but there’s definitely some similarities.

IMO he's going to be not as good offensively but better defensively.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

IMO he's going to be not as good offensively but better defensively.

Yeah I could see that, though Rielly’s only had one monster season.

Byram might be held back a bit by PP time, but if he plays with Makar on the top pair, he’ll put up some good numbers.

 

[Foppa2118]

Do you like Morgan Rielly as a comp for Byram?

Similar WHL production, I think Byram was a little better.

Both good skaters, each have excellent puck-skills and a dangerous wrist shot.

I think Byram was viewed as a more complete defenceman coming out of the draft, but there’s definitely some similarities.

Nice effort to get us back on topic.

Rielly is one of the better comparables for Byram, but like most comparisons, they're still a little different.

Stylistically Byram is a little smoother and more cerebral IMO. Rielly is fairly bigger right now too. Byram's listed at 195 lbs and Rielly is listed at 215, which to me seem like it could be a little light. He could be 220+ at certain times of a season and I wouldn't be surprised.

I think a lot of the Rielly comparison comes from their big goal totals as defenseman in 2018-19. Rielly put up 20 goals in the NHL and Byram put up 26 in the WHL.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Nice effort to get us back on topic.

Rielly is one of the better comparables for Byram, but like most comparisons, they're still a little different.

Stylistically Byram is a little smoother and more cerebral IMO. Rielly is fairly bigger right now too. Byram's listed at 195 lbs and Rielly is listed at 215, which to me seem like it could be a little light. He could be 220+ at certain times of a season and I wouldn't be surprised.

I think a lot of the Rielly comparison comes from their big goal totals as defenseman in 2018-19. Rielly put up 20 goals in the NHL and Byram put up 26 in the WHL.

Byram did an interview recently saying he was up to 205, or 210 now.

I don’t think there will be that much of a size size difference between the two in their prime.

But, Rielly is listed at 221 now, so it’s possible he just has a thicker build.

 

[Foppa2118]

Byram did an interview recently saying he was up to 205, or 210 now.

I don’t think there will be that much of a size size difference between the two in their prime.

But, Rielly is listed at 221 now, so it’s possible he just has a thicker build.

Ok that makes sense with Rielly. I just looked at Elite prospects instead of multiple sites for height/weight like I usually do.

Reilly just looks to me like he'll be fairly thicker than Byram. I'm not sure how much more Byram will bulk up, he looks pretty lanky to me. 205-210 seems a bit surprising to me. He's got a strong lower base though, so I bet that's where a lot of the muscle mass is coming from.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

Josh Morrissey with a little more offensive confidence is what I see.

That’s the thing with Byram. I don’t think he has that much more skill than other similar defenseman. I just think he’s more confident and willing to hang onto the puck and be patient.

 

[Foppa2118]

Josh Morrissey with a little more offensive confidence is what I see.

That’s the thing with Byram. I don’t think he has that much more skill than other similar defenseman. I just think he’s more confident and willing to hang onto the puck and be patient.

I think you're bang on with that. That's what I meant by Byram being smoother and more cerebral stylistically than Rielly.

A lot of talented defenseman just wait to get the puck in the O zone and then they make plays with a quick pass or shot. Byram likes to hold on to the puck more than most to make plays.

Which will translate well to the Avs because they love to create offense with their blueliners this way. What the coaching staff helped turn Girard into in the 2nd half of this season is a testament to that.

G was already a guy who liked to hold onto the puck and skate with it, but instead of dialing that back a bit, they pushed him to do it more, and have even more confidence to hang on to the puck down low in the O zone to make plays.

Bednar/Pratt are the perfect coaches to get the most out of defenseman like Makar/Girard/Byram.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Do you like Morgan Rielly as a comp for Byram?

Similar WHL production, I think Byram was a little better.

Both good skaters, each have excellent puck-skills and a dangerous wrist shot.

I think Byram was viewed as a more complete defenceman coming out of the draft, but there’s definitely some similarities.

Byram himself has used Rielly as a comp and I think it fits too.

 

[Foppa2118]

Byram himself has used Rielly as a comp and I think it fits too.

Rielly is a good comp but often when the prospects themselves use them around the draft and after, it's coming from their agent. It's a marketing thing. Gets fans excited.

I'm sure Bo has watched Rielly a lot though and probably models some of his game after him.

 

[Tralfamadore]

Byram isn't nearly the kind of skater Reilly is. Doesn't have the same lower body strength/build.

 

[S E P H]

I personally said a more physical version of Rielly before the draft, and I think he'll blossom into the same mould of player in terms of strengths and weaknesses. Rielly reads the defensive zone better, but Byram will punish players more in the corner.

 

[MonsterMack]

How do we know that Byram won't learn to read the d zone as well as Rielly?

 

[Richard88]

IMO he's going to be not as good offensively but better defensively.

I'd be thrilled with that. It's exactly what we need him to become.

 

[S E P H]

How do we know that Byram won't learn to read the d zone as well as Rielly?

Because he hasn't necessarily showed it in juniors compared to when I watched Rielly, however, that also doesn't mean he can't improve though.

 

[henchman21]

Byram has the pure skill set to be good defensively and better than Reilly. He needs to show that application of that skill set. IMO that will be more of his calling card in the NHL. I like the Morrissey comparison @Cousin Eddie made. Makes a lot of sense to me.

IMO more than anything, Byram needs to play at a higher level and be forced into some structure. Running wild in the WHL isn't going to help him anymore. This is a situation where the CHL/NHL agreement hurts him. He wasn't ready for the NHL (and may still not be ready next year), but he needs a different level ASAP.

 

[GoNordiquesGo]

I agree to a point, Graves sometimes lays down big hits but it's not a regular facet of his game. But it should also be pointed out that for every game Big Z was a human wrecking ball, he'd have a few where he was soft as a beanie baby.

"Enforcer" isn't the right word for either player BTW...

The term "enforcer" has always been used in relation to fights, not hits. So saying that Graves is the Avs enforcer is ridiculous.

 

[Pokecheque]

The term "enforcer" has always been used in relation to fights, not hits. So saying that Graves is the Avs enforcer is ridiculous.

Well, the term I use is "goon" and that IMO is the proper nomenclature. Teams don't really have them anymore and rightfully so. I don't even know why anyone would be trying to shoehorn the term to try and apply to a physical defenseman.

 

[McMetal]

Well, the term I use is "goon" and that IMO is the proper nomenclature. Teams don't really have them anymore and rightfully so. I don't even know why anyone would be trying to shoehorn the term to try and apply to a physical defenseman.

Yeah, I'm glad the age of the goon is over. They added little to the sport. I'd much rather watch a player like Nieto or Toninato skate on the fourth line than a Scott Parker type whose only purpose is rearranging faces.