Bo is Back: Avalanche Re-Sign Byram to a 2-Year Contract

They weren’t going to let him go, but it’s official: Bowen Byram has been signed by the Colorado Avalanche to a 2-year contract.

The 2-year deal will pay the 22-year old defenseman $3.85 million per year, and he’ll still be a restricted free agent at the end of the contract.

According to Frank Seravalli, there was concern today that Byram would get an offer sheet from another team. That can’t happen now.

Byram, who is coming off a season in which he scored 10 goals and 24 points in just 42 games, has struggled to stay healthy over the course of his career. There are no questions about his ability when he’s in the lineup, but availability has been an issue for him. I’m sure the Avalanche would have loved to sign him to a long-term deal, but I’m not sure it makes sense for either side at the moment.

The Avalanche just don’t have the cap space to commit a ton of money to Byram right now, and Byram likely knows if he stays healthy and continues to perform, he can make a lot more money in the long run.

This contract came in around what I expected, as I wrote the other day that it should be around $4 million. This is really the biggest deal the Avalanche will sign this summer, barring something unexpected, and now they know what they can fit in the rest of the summer.

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