Three Avs prospects – Byram, Newhook and Barron – make Team Canada World Junior Roster

It says quite a lot about the Avalanche’s near-term future that the team is the favorite among many sportsbooks right now to win the next Stanley Cup. It says quite a lot about the future of the Avs beyond this coming season, with what happened today, which was: Top Avs prospects Bo Byram, Alex Newhook and Justin Barron all survived the final cut and made the Team Canada World Junior team roster.

Three @Avalanche prospects to represent @HockeyCanada at 2021 #WorldJuniors later this month in Edmonton. All 3 were selected in 1st round of the past two drafts

Bowen Byram (D)
4th overall 2019

Alex Newhook (C)
16th overall 2019

Justin Barron (D)
25th overall 2020#GoAvsGo https://t.co/HEajqHQyDK

— Brendan McNicholas (@bmcnich) December 11, 2020

This is the first time in Avs team history that’s ever happened. While Byram was a lock to make it, having played on the last World Junior team for Canada, Newhook and Barron are newbies. Barron wasn’t expected to make it, but an outstanding camp convinced the decisiom-makers to add him. Newhook, by all accounts, is a future NHL star in the making, your likely No. 2 center for the longer-term future.

The World Junior tourney is slated to be held at Rogers Place in Edmonton from Dec. 25 to Jan. 5. Canada is the defending champion of the tournament.

Newhook will miss some time with his Boston College team, as will Barron with the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL. Where Byram plays this coming season is still somewhat up in the air, though I predict it’ll mostly be with the Vancouver Giants of the WHL for one more year – at least if there is a WHL season, that is.