The Avalanche made the right choice Friday night, making up for what it didn’t do for nine years from 2008 and 2016 and much of its 25-year history with the NHL draft.
The Avs, using a selection obtained from Ottawa in the 2017 Matt Duchene trade, chose the top-ranked 2019 draft-eligible defenseman, Bowen Byram, with the fourth pick at Rogers Place in Vancouver, British Columbia. The move marked the first time Colorado selected the top blue-liner available, and further sets up a fabulous defensive corps for 2019-20 and beyond.
And, yes, it further turns veteran defenseman Tyson Barrie into a valuable trade piece for that much-needed top-six forward because Byram is good enough to begin his NHL career this fall.