What should the Detroit Red Wings draft board look like?
By Bob Heyrman
Bowen Byram-D
Bowen Byram is by far the top defenseman in this draft and on some draft boards he isn’t a top-five choice, but in others, he’s a top three pick. Byram is a gifted offensive defenseman, and that’s just what the doctor ordered for the Detroit Red Wings.
"Bob McKenzie of TSN said: “He plays a strong two-way game and has a healthy amount of grit in his game, but his strength is skating and passing the puck up the ice, creating offence for others or himself with a good shot from the point. He can also quarterback a power play.”"
Byram plays his junior hockey with the Vancouver Giants in the Western Hockey League. Over 67 games this season he’s enjoyed 26 goals and 45 assists to total 71 points. He’s a 6′ foot, the left-handed defenseman that could be paired with Filip Hronek working the top Detroit Red Wings power-play in the future.
His mobility intrigues me along with the fact that the draft not being precisely a deep top-end defensive draft. In fact, in many instances, Byram is the only defenseman listed in the top fifteen picks.
The only reason I would select Byram over Podkolzin, Dach, Zegras, and Cozens is because the Detroit Red Wings seem to have a stable of young budding star forwards and desperately need to add some young talented defensemen to their cupboard of prospects. His offensive abilities drive his stock up, especially in the way the league is headed being much more wide open allowing skilled players to blossom, Byram would be an excellent pick for the Detroit Red Wings.