When thinking of Colorado Avalanche defensemen, Cale Makar is the first name that comes to mind for many. That may be rightfully so, as the young blueliner already has a Norris Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy to go with the Stanley Cup the team won a couple of seasons ago.
However, there is another defenseman that might be the most important piece in defending the Avalanche zone. Bowen Byram is entering his fourth season with the Avalanche – who just gave him a two-year extension. That gives Byram two more years in Denver to shake off the inconsistencies and injury woes that have plagued the early part of his career, making this season one of the most important that he’s ever played.
Bowen Shows Lots of Potential
Byram was taken with the fourth overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft – two picks before the Detroit Red Wings selected eventual Calder Trophy-winner Moritz Seider. Byram was highly-touted, coming off a spectacular World Juniors performance. But his NHL career started with more of a whimper than a bang, as he scored just two points while playing in just 19 games in his 2020-21 rookie season. Things haven’t gotten much better on the injury front, as his 42 games played last season were the most in any of his first three NHL campaigns.
The scoring picked up last season, as he managed 10 goals and 24 points in those games. He was also fantastic during Colorado’s Stanley Cup run in 2022, playing in all 20 of the team’s postseason contests, notching nine assists and leading the playoffs with a plus-15 rating in plus-minus. That performance gave everybody hope that the injury bug was over, but he still missed three months with various injuries in 2022-23.
Related: Avalanche’s Byram Showing His Potential
Bowen plays a no-nonsense, hard-driving style of play that can lead to some of those injuries, but he’s also improved a bit in keeping himself out of harm’s way. There’s no questioning his potential, as he’s a noticeable player every time he’s on the ice. However, that missed time is going to have to become less and less, as the Avalanche will likely be putting more on his plate this season.
Avalanche Look to Increase Byram’s Role
There has been a bit of a shakeup on the blue line for the Avalanche, as longtime Avs staple Erik Johnson left in free agency for the Buffalo Sabres. The team still has top pairing Makar and Devon Toews, but Byram will now likely slot into the second pairing with Josh Manson – who is also attempting to bounce back from injuries after playing in just 49 games over the past two seasons combined. Banking on their health is a big part of Colorado’s plan, and those two will have to be more durable this season.
The pairing of Byram and Manson should complement each other well, and the two of them actually played together in 16 games last season. In the second pairing, these two will get important minutes together, so it’s imperative for them to stay healthy. The other defensemen behind them on the depth chart are Samuel Girard, Jack Johnson and Kurtis MacDermid, meaning the skill drops off precipitously if either Byram or Manson goes down.
The increased role will help both Byram and the Avalanche. The 22-year-old defenseman logged nearly 22 minutes per game last season, and he managed to contribute in a number of roles. Two of his 10 goals came on the power play, and he added a shorthanded tally. If Colorado can bump up his minutes to around 24 per night, and he plays in 70 games, Byram has all of the potential to score between 15-20 goals and 45-50 points. If he can pull that off, the Avalanche will have him at a steal of a deal for the next two years, and it will set Byram up for what could be a good payday when that contract expires in a couple of seasons.
Byram’s Play Will Impact Club’s Decisions
Depending on how he performs this season, he can make things tough for the Avalanche front office – but in a good way. Even though Byram’s contract is short, his play might be a determining factor in what Colorado does with another defenseman. Devon Toews is in the final year of his deal and will be an unrestricted free agent when this season is over. Toews has been nothing short of fantastic since coming to Colorado in what turned out to be a steal of a deal in 2020.
In his three seasons with the Avalanche, Toews has scored 50 points or more twice, and he’s finished in the top 10 in the NHL in plus-minus in all three campaigns. Toews led the Avalanche in average time on ice during the team’s Cup-winning season, and only Makar averaged more minutes per game last season. This is clearly an important season for Toews, but it also makes this season even more critical for Byram.
Related: Avalanche Should Re-Sign, Not Trade Devon Toews
Byram’s two-year extension holds an average annual value (AAV) of $3.85 million, and he’ll be a restricted free agent when it expires in 2025-26. Not only will Byram’s health be monitored closely during these next two years, but so will his improvement. Those injuries have obviously hampered his ice time, but he has proven his game more than fits in with Colorado’s style. In a perfect world for Avs fans, the club keeps both Toews and Byram. However, the best-case scenario for the team is to have Byram make that decision difficult for them by stepping up his play in 2023-24.
