Bowen Byram's road was always going to lead to the Avalanche

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VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – Sometimes you just let the universe do its thing.

Avalanche fans and front office members alike watched in horror as the draft lottery dropped them from the first overall selection to number four. It was the maximum number of spots Colorado could slide.

Again.

The lottery was a replay of what happened back in 2017, except Colorado was the team coming off a last-place finish instead of using Ottawa’s misfortune to further their chase for the Stanley Cup. The similarities were downright spooky.

New Jersey won both lotteries thanks to the voodoo possessed by Taylor Hall, a team from the Metropolitan Division jumped up to the second selection, and a Central Division foe leapfrogged Colorado for the third pick.

The 2017 draft represented a massive shift for the Avalanche organization and their selection of Cale Makar is only just beginning to pay off as his potentially brilliant career is only 10 playoff games old.

Fast forward to tonight and the Avalanche followed the same path that led them to Bowen Byram, this year’s top defenseman available. Colorado had plenty of reason to take a center, especially when the presumptive third-best player in the draft in Alex Turcotte got by Chicago at three. The Avalanche didn’t budge and simply made the decision that made the most sense all along.

“I think everyone kind of knew what was happening in the first two picks,” Byram said. “After that, nobody knew what was going on. When [Colorado] got up there, I had a real good feeling about them from the start. So then when they got up there and called my name it was pretty cool for sure.”

Byram joins an organization on the rise after the Avs made the second round of the postseason. They have a cadre of young superstars in Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Cale Makar. They’re deep defensively and have the most salary cap space in the league. There’s plenty of good going on in Colorado right now but drafting Byram could put them over the top.

“It’s pretty cool,” Byram said. “You look at their defense corps and they’ve got a lot of good players. I know I’ve got my work cut out for me to make the team but I’m confident in myself. There’s a lot of good players throughout their lineup. It’s going to be pretty cool just to meet these guys as well.”

That defense corps is already deep with five established NHL players and Makar already slated for ice time next season. While there are rumblings of a potential Tyson Barrie trade, day one of the draft came and went without the B.C. native changing teams.

While the Barrie drama unfolded without any action, the Vancouver ties for the Avalanche were strong tonight. Joe Sakic, from nearby Burnaby, received a hero’s welcome when he was introduced for roll call and again when he stepped to the podium to announce Colorado’s selection. That selection was Byram, who just finished helping the local Giants make a run to Game 7 of the WHL Finals. Byram’s name being called resulted in a raucous cheer from the hometown crowd.

“Obviously, there’s quite a few Giants fans in the stands,” Byram said. “Being in Vancouver is pretty special for me and my family. Vancouver has kind of been a second home for me since I started playing here.”

While Byram and the Giants achieved great success this season, there’s doubt whether Byram returns next season. Certainly, Byram’s goal is to make the leap and leave the WHL for the memory bank but Colorado’s talent at the position makes it a tricky proposition.

“Obviously, it’s the NHL,” Byram said. “It’s going to be a whirlwind but I definitely have my work cut out for me. I’m confident in myself. I’m confident in my abilities. But I know I’ve got to get better, too. It’s going to be a challenge. I’m ready for it.”

That challenge will include some of the same things every teenager must overcome in their draft plus-one season. He must get bigger, stronger, and adjust to the blinding speed of the NHL game. Byram is already comfortable with the changes he has to make in order to leave junior hockey behind for good.

“I’ve got to get bigger, stronger, faster,” he said. “I’ve got to shore up details in my game. The way I look at it, everyone’s got to get better, everyone’s got to fix things. I got to work extremely hard and put myself in a good spot.”

Byram mentioned several times he felt good about the possibility of joining Colorado, especially as the postseason draft process got underway.

“I met with them at the combine in Buffalo and then met with them a couple days ago at their hotel down the road,” he said. “I had a good feeling about them. It’s a pretty incredible place to play and they’ve got a really good team right now so I’m super excited.”

While Colorado’s interest was obvious, his interest in Colorado began after the lottery. The stars were aligning and he was prepared for it.

“I always had a good feeling ever since the draft order came out,” Byram said. “I was hoping it was going to be Colorado. It’s a beautiful place to live, kind of similar to my hometown. I’m not totally sure what I thought but when they got up on stage I kind of figured it was going to be me.”

He was right.

With him in tow, the Avalanche have set themselves up to modernize the Ray Bourque-Rob Blake top pairing that won them a Stanley Cup in 2001 with Byram and Makar. Sam Girard lurks (as much as he can lurk at his size, anyway) as the Adam Foote of the group, showing just how much the modern game has changed. That trio has the potential to create a new generation of classic memories for Avs fans.

Byram is, as the youths say, very here for it.

“I ended up in a great spot,” he said. “Super happy with Colorado. They have an unbelievable team right now with so many superstars on that team. Now the biggest worry for me is just working hard and trying to make the team.”

When Byram gets to Colorado, he’s not going to be hurting for entertainment away from the rink.

“I love the outdoors,” Byram said. “Fishing, hiking, things like that. I always seem to be outside. We live on an acreage so there’s always things to do around the house. I love the outdoors.”

See?

Destiny.