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

[tigervixxxen]

Canucks fan here just curious why Byram didn't get a game in during the playoffs? You'd think at some point he would see a bit of time as a test given his pedigree and potential impact on the team.

They decided Kevin Connauton gave them the best chance to win. And well we see how that turned out.

It remains to be seen how serious they take Byram. Allegedly he will be given an opportunity in the coming season.

 

[Frankie Blueberries]

When you're fighting for every inch, against a heavy forechecking team, in the playoffs, giving him some time "as a test" is probably not the best of ideas. It's not even a given that he'll be on the roster when the regular season starts.

That's fair - I was thinking more in the 1st round, in a game where they weren't facing elimination, with limited minutes. Canucks tried out Juolevi for like 7 mins in one of the qualifying games against Minnesota - not saying it's a good idea, but it is possible.

 

[Ararana]

It was different with Makar the year before because A) Makar was much older, and had already played through his full D+2 season, and B) The Avs didn't have the same kind of legitimate cup winning aspirations last year, they were more of a "Happy to be here" team.

I don't think a lot of people outside of the Avs fanbase realize how much the stars aligned for Makar to be given his shot in game 3 against Calgary. Even Girard just happened to get injured the game before opening up a spot for him on the defense. And all it took was a single game to solidify his spot on the roster.

That was always a hard sell this last offseason for Byram. Though with the EJ injury and them constantly playing Cannauton one could make the argument.

 

[SaltySkywalker]

I don't think a lot of people outside of the Avs fanbase realize how much the stars aligned for Makar to be given his shot in game 3 against Calgary. Even Girard just happened to get injured the game before opening up a spot for him on the defense. And all it took was a single game to solidify his spot on the roster.

That was always a hard sell this last offseason for Byram. Though with the EJ injury and them constantly playing Cannauton one could make the argument.

We also had the flexibility of being able to give Makar a shot in the playoffs because of no real aspirations of winning the cup. I think it was obvious Byram wasn't going to be given the same opportunity with how close we were/are to contending. Especially with everything else going on.

 

[Barklez]

Haven’t seen it mentioned anywhere yet in here but maybe I missed it... was watching the Sakic interview from a couple weeks ago and he says Byram will be given every opportunity to make the team this year.



I quickly skimmed back through it but couldn’t relocate it. He says it quite quickly at the end of a longer response, don’t remember which reporter unfortunately. I would’ve guessed it was in the latter half but that’s where I looked hardest and didn’t find it

 

[Vaslof]

Is Byram allowed to play in Europe?

 

[Avs71]

For being a bust, Byram is only 24 points away from leading his draft class.

 

[Ararana]

Byram is #31 on Pronman's best NHL players under 23.

Ranking the best NHL players under 23: Corey Pronman's top 155

The sad part is Makar is only #13 behind players like both Tkachuk bros, and both Hughes bros. Pronman has been low on Makar since well before his draft.

Other Avs - Girard at 37 (behind Byram ), Newhook at 53, Barron at 135, Jost at 141

 

[Patagonia]

Byram is #31 on Pronman's best NHL players under 23.

Ranking the best NHL players under 23: Corey Pronman's top 155

The sad part is Makar is only #13 behind players like both Tkachuk bros, and both Hughes bros. Pronman has been low on Makar since well before his draft.

Other Avs - Girard at 37 (behind Byram ), Newhook at 53, Barron at 135, Jost at 141

Jost made the list?

 

[Ararana]

Jost made the list?

Slotted in the 'very good' category. lol. Very good compared to my beer league, sure.

I'm a little surprised Timmins didn't make the list when they have names like Jost on there. I guess that most recent injury didn't help people's view of him sticking.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

Byram is #31 on Pronman's best NHL players under 23.

Ranking the best NHL players under 23: Corey Pronman's top 155

The sad part is Makar is only #13 behind players like both Tkachuk bros, and both Hughes bros. Pronman has been low on Makar since well before his draft.

Other Avs - Girard at 37 (behind Byram ), Newhook at 53, Barron at 135, Jost at 141

Sam Girard disrespect hurts my head.

 

[Tralfamadore]

Girard will forever be underrated probably because he's undersized. It will especially be the case with Makar and hopefully Byram being studs.

 

[Islay1989]

What needs to be going through your head to think Cement Head's kids are better than Cale. Certifiably insane.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

I'm not a big Pronman fan but oh my god that might be the worst list I have ever seen him create.


Matthew Tkachuk at 5???? What on Earth is that? I mean he's a good player but at #5? Ahead of Svechnikov?


Then Laine at 7? McAvoy at 24? All 3 of Hughes/Makar/Heiskanen should be well inside the Top 10 if not pushing Top 5. DeBrincat at 30. Byram over Girard...



Honestly I could go on and on about that list. Just terrible from Top to bottom.

 

[MaKarter]

Would anyone here trade Bo Byram for Brady Tkachuk?

Both 4oa. Tkachuk and Byram's teams would likely be flipped if Ottawa gave us the 4oa in 2018.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Would anyone here trade Bo Byram for Brady Tkachuk?

Both 4oa. Tkachuk and Byram's teams would likely be flipped if Ottawa gave us the 4oa in 2018.

Yup.

 

[Murzu]

Would anyone here trade Bo Byram for Brady Tkachuk?

Both 4oa. Tkachuk and Byram's teams would likely be flipped if Ottawa gave us the 4oa in 2018.

Yeap, naturally. Only thing that bothers me is that Byram ELC lasts longer but Tkachuk is a first line winger right now.

 

[Perratrooper]

I'm not a big Pronman fan but oh my god that might be the worst list I have ever seen him create.


Matthew Tkachuk at 5???? What on Earth is that? I mean he's a good player but at #5? Ahead of Svechnikov?


Then Laine at 7? McAvoy at 24? All 3 of Hughes/Makar/Heiskanen should be well inside the Top 10 if not pushing Top 5. DeBrincat at 30. Byram over Girard...



Honestly I could go on and on about that list. Just terrible from Top to bottom.

I think you severely underrate Tkachuk if you don’t think he belongs at #5. He just went over point per game, provides grit and is constant impact player. I think Svech definitely could be better, but I wouldn’t say he’s the better player right now.

Now I’d have to see the top 5 list, but for me I would only have 3 or 4 players ahead of him.

Byram ahead of Girard is hilarious though

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

I think you severely underrate Tkachuk if you don’t think he belongs at #5. He just went over point per game, provides grit and is constant impact player. I think Svech definitely could be better, but I wouldn’t say he’s the better player right now.

Now I’d have to see the top 5 list, but for me I would only have 3 or 4 players ahead of him.

Byram ahead of Girard is hilarious though

Ahhh... What are you talking about? Tkachuk has not had a PPG+ year in his career.

 

[Iceberg]

Pronman makes it clear that he is projecting who is going to have the better career.

I still don't agree with a lot of his picks.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Would anyone here trade Bo Byram for Brady Tkachuk?

Both 4oa. Tkachuk and Byram's teams would likely be flipped if Ottawa gave us the 4oa in 2018.

I wouldn't. I Wasn't a big Brady fan in his draft year and nothing yet has changed my mind on him. He's a solid player but the same question marks I had in his draft year I have now. Which is, that I dont think he has high end talent and thus I dont think he has huge upside. He'll be a legit Top 6 player, in that ~60-70 point range and 25-30 Goals for most years with maybe a couple peak years higher then that. But I dont think he has the skill to be a true star player.

He reminds me a lot of a younger Landeskog to be honest with you and he has a good chance of being names Captain in Ottawa. He's also a much more likable guy then his Brother IMO.

But nah, I definitely wouldn't trade Byram for him. It's easy to say yes right now with Brady putting together a couple solid years in the NHL already while Byram hasn't made the jump yet. But you really gotta remember Byram has legit top pairing upside and I'm sure lots of people still think he has #1 upside and even some folks who believe he has higher upside then Makar right now. I think its very fair to say Byram right now is a better prospect then Makar was at the same age.


If Tkachuk was a Center, this would be a different discussion. A high end 2C who plays the game the way Brady does would be a real tempting piece to have, we probably wouldn't have traded for Kadri in that case and Mack/Tkachuk down the middle would be nasty. But as a winger Byram has more upside then him and plays the more valuable position.


Now... I think the bigger conversation worth having would be about whether the Avs would have actually taken Tkachuk at #4 if we were given that pick, and if we didn't take him, who would we have selected and would I take that player over Byram. I'm extremely confident that had the Avs gotten that 2018 4th overall pick instead of 2019, they take a Dman at that spot instead of Brady, I think Joe made a very clear point out of that Duchene trade to get as many high end Dmen as he could possibly get out of it, and I think that Ottawa pick was going to be used on a Dman no matter what. That 2018 draft was also loaded with quality Defenders at the top of it.


And given how much the Avs have shown to really value skating and smarts in the draft the last few years... My money on the Colorado pick at that spot in the draft would have been on Quinn Hughes. He was easily the best skating Dman in the 2018 draft, and pretty much checked every box of what we have been targeting in our Dmen and with our draft picks the last couple years. And well.... A defense that included Girard, Hughes, and Makar on it, the other teams wouldn't touch the puck all game.

 

[tigervixxxen]

I'm not a big Pronman fan but oh my god that might be the worst list I have ever seen him create.


Matthew Tkachuk at 5???? What on Earth is that? I mean he's a good player but at #5? Ahead of Svechnikov?


Then Laine at 7? McAvoy at 24? All 3 of Hughes/Makar/Heiskanen should be well inside the Top 10 if not pushing Top 5. DeBrincat at 30. Byram over Girard...



Honestly I could go on and on about that list. Just terrible from Top to bottom.

It doesn’t make any logical sense. How guys like Makar, Hughes, Heiskanen aren’t in the special category, what more does he need to see? Then some guys are still way up there based on potential vs guys who have already proven it. I get it’s tough to rank guys in various stages of their careers but it doesn’t make any sense from a talent evaluation standpoint. The grades on certain things are funny too. Makar’s skating a 60 with Byram and Girard 65 and Jost 55. I mean, that’s just not reality. I will argue Byram and Girard are up there but Makar is not lower than them lol. And Jost is not one level behind Makar, that’s absurd. I have no idea what he’s watching.

Pronman is always good for thought because that’s his full time gig and all but man as a talent evaluator he just doesn’t have it.

Hepple basically admitted they would have drafted Zadina in 2018 btw.

 

[Perratrooper]

Ahhh... What are you talking about? Tkachuk has not had a PPG+ year in his career.

Read PIMs instead of points...

None the less he put up the same amount of points this year and 77 points the year prior (I triple checked), I also view him as a better overall player as to me he has more intangibles. Again I’m not saying Svech isn’t close and long term won’t be better, but it’s not egregious to have Tkachuk ahead.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Pronman makes it clear that he is projecting who is going to have the better carrer.

I still don't agree with a lot of his picks.

That's what makes his list even worse IMO. If you're projecting for guys who will have better careers. How on Earth does Matthew Tkachuk rank ahead of Svechnikov. There's a real possibility Svech is the best winger in the game within 2-3 years, he's a super stud and would have been a slam dunk #1 overall pick in his draft year if it wasn't for the thought to be generational defender in the same draft year.

Likewise with Brady Tkachuk, I dont see how anyone can honestly believe Brady will have a better career then both Heiskanen and Makar.

And they you have McAvoy who is already a Top pairing, bordering on #1D in the league and you rank him all the way down at #24?


Just a really bad list IMO.

 

[Islay1989]

Pronman is a guy who basically made his career by hot takes. Further proof that a guy who shouts the loudest makes it farthest. For the life of me I can't understand why The Athletic brought him on. This is pure clickbait level drivel on par with dumb shit Stephen A Smith rabbles on about.