The Colorado Avalanche Select Bowen Byram 4th overall

With the fourth overall selection in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, the Colorado Avalanche have selected defenseman Bowen Byram from the Vancouver Giants of the WHL.

This is the pick the Avalanche received back in November of 2017 as a part of the Matt Duchene trade.

Byram led all CHL defenders this season with 26 goals including 6 overtime goals.

Scouting report:

An exceptionally gifted defenceman who knows his strengths and plays by them. He possesses elite skating ability and is at his best when playing high energy, up-tempo hockey. He handles the puck well and is able to keep control of it under pressure. He makes calculated decisions that consistently shift momentum in his team’s favor. His creativity in the offensive zone speaks to his confidence in his ability to be a game-changer.

Defensively astute, he actively takes away lanes and limits options for the oncoming opposition. All-in-all, Bowen Byram is a workhorse who understands how to take advantage of turnovers and shift the pace of play in his favor in all three zones - EliteProspects

Byram is a very young prospect who is at least a year away from the NHL but in a few years, he will help form one of the most dynamic bluelines in the league alongside Cale Makar and Samuel Girard.