Bo Byram returning to the Avs gives the team a physical and mental boost

Colorado Avalanche defenseman off Bo Byram has played just 37 career NHL games.

So you wouldn’t think his return to the lineup on Tuesday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins wouldn’t be that big of a deal.

But it is.

Byram, the No. 4 overall selection in the 2019 NHL Draft, has flashed loads of potential in his brief career thus far. The stats haven’t dazzled, but he did have five goals in six assists in just 18 games this year before concussion issues sidelined him on and off the last several months. Byram hasn’t played since January 10 against Seattle and has only skated in six total games since December.

The Avs are dealing with more injuries than they’d like with the playoffs just a month away, so welcoming Byram back to the lineup is a big physical and mental boost. The team has been missing regulars Gabriel Landeskog and Samuel Girard and more recently Nazem Kadri. Getting a guy like Byram back when we weren’t sure we’d see him the rest of the season allows the rest of the Avs to exhale. There’s still time before the Stanley Cup playoffs begin and the reinforcements are starting to arrive.

Byram isn’t Cale Makar, far from it, but he has that kind of potential. If he can stay on the ice and contribute in Colorado’s final 13 games then help them go on a deep playoff run, that would go a long way towards reaching his ceiling.

It’s a big step for Byram returning on Tuesday after battling a multitude of concussion issues — it’ll be a big boost for his teammates as well.
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