Not only is Bowen Byram the #1 ranked defenceman in the draft, but he might be the best player available at #3 when Stan Bowman and Mark Kelley take the stage on June 21st in Vancouver.
The word out of the combine is that the Hawks were favouring Turcotte and Byram as their pick. With the draft just a couple weeks away, I would assume the Hawks know who they are going to take by now and their draft preparation is now concentrated on the later rounds.
Why is everyone in love with Byram, the smooth skating Canadian defender? Let's take a look why:
(Courtesy: Western Hockey League)
The big question is do the Hawks take a defenseman when they have the "4 Horsemen" waiting in the wings? Why don't we look at this pretending that the Hawks didn't draft Jokiharju, Mitchell, Boqvist and Beaudin over the last couple of years?
The strategy for the Hawks in a spot this high is drafting the BPA and if the best player is Byram… you take him.
Before we get into a little more analysis, here is a snapshot of Bowen Byram:
Player Profile
(Courtesy: Elite Prospects)
And here is an interview (so you can get to know the player off-ice):
(Courtesy: NHL)
Man, you gotta love that confidence. He even sounds like he errs on the side of cockiness and I like it.
Does Byram have a reason to be cocky? You're damn right, here's where he ranks:
* 2nd by NHL Central Scouting (NA Skaters)
* 4th by EliteProspects.com
* 5th by DraftSite.com
Corey Pronman from The Athletic has this to say about the dman:
"Byram is my top ranked defenseman in this draft class. He was often asked to play 30 minutes a game for the Giants, showing immense offensive potential, including leading the WHL playoffs in scoring. Byram is a high-end skater with the ability to lead a rush and close gaps. He's got quick-twitch feet and a great first step. He's very active with his skating, as I often see him join rushes and lead ones, and he can activate well off the blueline. He's very skilled."
Wow. That's huge praise for a guy coming into the draft. He also performed well at the combine and all signs are pointing to the Blackhawks liking what they saw.
What really jumps out to me is that he's a guy that plays and plays A LOT. Thirty minutes a game in any league is a lot. He plays in all situations and has been projected by many that Byram is a sure thing #1 / top pairing D. I also love how clutch he's been in the playoffs his entire career. He screams like a guy you can one day win a Stanley Cup with.
Here's a theory I want to run by you. If the Hawks didn't draft Nicolas Beaudin at 27th overall last year and took centre Joe Veleno (30th) instead, would that slight tweak change your mind about who the Hawks should draft in 2019?
I know it's minor, but if that was the case, the Hawks would be sitting here with top defensive prospects Adam Boqvist (RHD), Ian Mitchell (RHD) and Henri Jokiharju (RHD), as well as a really nice prospect at centre in Veleno – a guy I thought the Hawks should have drafted in that 27th overall spot.
Veleno went on to register 104 points in 59 games in the QMJHL and is looking like he could be a star for the Red Wings.
Don't get me wrong, I like Beaudin and he might end up being a staple on this Hawks blueline for years OR he could very well be used as a trade chip.
If the Hawks did go this route of Veleno over Beaudin, would Byram (LHD) be the obvious choice?
I say this, but there we go looking at need over BPA. However, I do think there would be a level of bias there if this were the case.
What I'm saying is, the Hawks could really use centre depth by drafting a Cozens or Turcotte, but can they really pass up on a potential 30-minute a game, two-way, elite defender?
Time will tell.
All I know is if the Hawks draft Bowen, stockpiling top defencemen isn't the worst idea in the world. You then take the next couple of years determining what you have in these players and where they fit on the team.
There will be some tough decisions as it's not feasible that all of them would be able to play on the same NHL team but when the time is right the Hawks GM (whomever it may be) will be able to deal from an area of strength and improve this team for the long haul.
Let's see what Wiz thinks:
The Blackhawks select Byram Bowen if… they feel his offense package is more special than any of the defenseman in their prospect ranks and his defensive acumen is equal to said prospects. (Bill Placzek, DraftSite.com)
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