Bowen Byram was the fourth overall pick by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2019 NHL Draft. He spent four seasons in Colorado before he was swapped for Casey Mittlestadt in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres in March of 2024.
In July of 2023, the Avalanche signed the pending restricted free agent to an extension but then was shipped to Buffalo.
Before his departure from Colorado, during his final two years with the team, Byram had 18 goals. Well, in 97 of a possible 164 games during those two years.
Byram played in 146 of a possible 328 games for the Avalanche in his four seasons with the team. Last season with the Sabres, Byram was able to play in all 82 games in the regular season, the first time in his career.
Now, Byram’s name has consistently been brought up as part of trade rumours over the last couple of weeks. Statistically, his value has a never been higher, as he hit 38 points on the season with the Sabres. Normally, that sort of thing would make one believe that the player would likely continue on that trajectory going forward. However, there is one major concern and it’s already been brought up.
Byram’s inability (minus last season) to play in most games is a huge concern for me. It’s not even just about his availability to the team. It’s the concern about his concussion history. While one might think that avoiding a trade for Byram is all about protecting the team (not taking a risk), let’s take a look back at a quote from Byram’s dad years ago when he was still with the Avalanche.
“I can’t do it. I can’t play and feel like this.” - Bo Byram to his parents in 2022.
This is a quote that I only just saw while researching. It’s from 2022, when Byram missed 40 games.
I instantly had a pit in my stomach when I read that quote. It really makes someone take a step back and look at the outside life of the hockey world. Concussions are obviously a really big deal. Nobody should play through them, whether you’re a bubble player trying your hardest to make the team or if you’re a top star trying to tough it out for your teammates.
If the Avalanche were willing to try again with Byram, I would hope that they would keep an eye on his minutes per game. Would it be a cool story to reunite with Byram? Sure. Maybe his concussion history is behind him, as he did play in all 82 games this past season.
However, if it were up to me, I would not consider bringing him back. Unfortunately, that’s the way it goes sometimes. There are things that are out of your control, including injuries. It would make hardly any sense for Colorado to explore a reunion with their former top-4 overall pick.