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Colorado Avalanche sign 4th overall pick Bowen Byram to Entry-Level Contract

The question now becomes, which league will he play in next season?

By HardevLad
2019 NHL Draft - Round One
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - JUNE 21: Bowen Byram speaks to the media after being selected fourth overall by the Colorado Avalanche during the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada.
Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images

The Colorado Avalanche announced today that they have signed their top pick from the 2019 NHL Draft to a three-year entry-level contract.

Though the team hasn’t confirmed the terms, he is likely to get the max $925,000 contract with bonuses. Due to his age, Byram is not AHL eligible so he will only be able to play in the NHL or WHL this coming season. If he goes back to the WHL before playing 10 games in the NHL, his contract will slide forward one season and not count toward the 50-man limit in the NHL. He is allowed to do this twice.

Byram is expected to play his nine games in the NHL before heading back to the Vancouver Giants of the WHL for his age-18 season. The Avalanche currently have a lot of depth at left defense on their roster right now, so odds are the Avalanche won’t rush their newest blue-chip prospect into the NHL. Unless he blows us all out of the water, of course.