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Chambers: Bo Byram had a difficult 2021. The Avalanche rookie deserves a vibrant new year - The Denver Post

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A vibrant young hockey career will again be tested again on Sunday and, hopefully, the rest of the season, and regardless of what NHL team you root for, any sane fan should hope that Avalanche rookie Bo Byram has a vibrant 2022.

Because 2021 was often maddening for the first defenseman selected in the 2019 draft (fourth overall). Byram, 20, sustained at least three concussions and had a handful of setbacks after showing signs of greatness as a teenager.

The exceptional young talent is scheduled to play his first game in a month on Sunday against visiting Anaheim. It will be Colorado’s first game since Dec. 16, the day before the team was shut down because of COVID protocol for the third time in 2021.

The Avs had seven games postponed to conclude the year. The silver lining is that Byram could potentially play in each makeup game.

“It’s funny. I feel like I’ve had this conversation with you guys six times, which is unfortunate, but I’ve said this before — I feel good. I’m ready to play,” Byram said after Saturday’s practice at Ball Arena. “It’s kind of a day-by-day thing at times but I feel like I’ve continued to progress and I’m ready to go. I’m excited to play and hopefully, I can stay in the lineup for an extended period of time.”

Byram hasn’t played since Dec. 1 at Toronto, his second game back from a two-week absence that began with concussion-related problems when he was elbowed to the head by Vancouver captain Bo Horvat on Nov. 11. Byram was originally concussed from a questionable check by Vegas forward Keegan Kolesar last season.

One day he feels fine. The next he feels awful.

“There are a lot of things that are tied to concussions,” Byram said of his various symptoms in 2021. “They can show themselves at any time. Unfortunately, that happened to me a little bit after I was feeling better again. But that’s life and I did what I had to do to get better, and I’m feeling better now.”

Here’s hoping Byram gets past his head injuries and has the fabulous NHL career that his potential warrants.

The Avalanche, meanwhile, return to play after a week-long mini-camp at Ball Arena, which was available every day because of the Nuggets’ travel and postponement. It felt like another training camp before the season opener.

The Avs know the drill.

“Unfortunately, we’ve been doing this now for a couple years where we’ve had these breaks and shortened training camps,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “We were able to go through all of our systems and spend a bunch of time on the power play and penalty kill and have a couple meetings today to get prepared for the Ducks tomorrow.

“So I feel good about where our team is that from a preparation standpoint, and from a physical standpoint. The guys are refreshed. They got lots of energy, they’re feeling it. They went through a couple days where their legs probably weren’t great. And then the hands disappeared a little bit, too. But now with the six days of practice, and some guys seven days in a row, we tapered it down here as the week went on, and guys are feeling good. So we’re excited to get back at it tomorrow.”

Footnotes. The Avs will be without winger Valeri Nichushkin, who suffered an injury at practice this week, for multiple games. Bednar said he will be replaced by defenseman Kurtis MacDermid, who will step in as a fourth-line winger. … Goalie Pavel Francouz, who wasn’t originally scheduled to be cleared from COVID protocol until Tuesday, was cleared early and practiced Saturday. He likely will back up Darcy Kuemper against the Ducks.

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