Obviously, New Jersey Devils fans want this year’s pick to fall in the top two, but if it doesn’t not all is lost. Bowen Byram could be a defenseman who changes the face of this franchise.
New Jersey Devils are becoming less and less likely to be one of the top two teams in lottery odds. Right now, they have 63 points, which is five ahead of Los Angeles and seven ahead of Ottawa. There’s only 10 games left, so this is likely an insurmountable lead. It looks like the Devils are stuck in the fourth overall spot as long as they don’t win enough to get past the Anaheim Ducks.
With the likelihood of Jack Hughes or Kappo Kaako dwindling, however far from lost, we still want to prepare for who might be out there if the Devils get a pick in the 3-5 range. One player who could make a major impact at a position of weakness is Bowen Byram.
He’s a smaller defenseman, but he plays an amazing two-way game. He’s incredibly reliable in his own zone, yet he ranks second on the WHL’s Vancouver Giants with 71 points. On paper, it looks like he’s another version of Ty Smith, but he could actually play really well next to Smith because he’s able to sit back or step up when needed. He has really good instincts for that to make sure he’s not giving up two-on-ones.
He has 26 goals as a defenseman. He’s not even 18 years old yet, and he’s scoring at this ridiculous pace.
Honestly, this kid does just about everything well. He can stick check with the best of players. Byram can break out plays all on his own. He maintains a tight gap between himself and opposing players.
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Byram plays with incredible toughness, which makes up for his slightly smaller stature. He’s just over six feet tall, and just around 180 lbs., but he isn’t afraid to get in someone’s face. He won’t sit back and watch a board battle, he wants to get in there and get his hands dirty.
This is a player that’s set to become an instant fan favorite. His only issue is he has a wandering eye and he takes a few too many penalties. He has 80 PIMs in just 67 games. Those are Miles Wood type numbers (who also needs to work on his penalties). It’s not that he’s a hot head, it’s more that he always want to take part in the physical parts of the game and sometimes it crosses a line.
Byram honestly is a player the Devils fans should be excited about. It’s been a long time since there was a defense who could score like this coming out of the NHL Draft. It’s like having a fourth forward on the ice.
This could change the way the Devils write up their game plan. Think about it, if they can put out Byram, Ty Smith and Will Butcher every night paired with a mixture of Sami Vatanen, Damon Severson and Connor Carrick, that’s a full six-man defensive lineup with incredible offensive upside. Honestly, that’s insane offensive upside.
Byram has the leadership qualities that could make him NHL ready this season. It will be interesting if Ray Shero goes for this pick what he might do. Smith is also NHL ready, yet the Devils have few spots available based on current contracts. Still, Shero will figure it out. Byram could help the Devils next season, and could eventually be their top defenseman in just a few years.