Colorado Avalanche defenseman Bowen Byram will not be in the lineup tonight per Bennett Durando of the Denver Post. The 21-year-old is battling an illness and will sit out the Avalanche contest against the Los Angeles Kings in a showdown between two playoff-bound Western Conference teams. Byram has 23 points in 39 games played this season.
He missed significant time earlier this season with injury, but this absence appears to be short term since it is an illness and not an injury. Byram joins Cale Makar and Josh Manson on the sidelines for the Avalanche who will be a bit shorthanded on the blue line as they try to catch the Dallas Stars for first place in the Central Division standings.
- Erik Haula is not in the New Jersey Devils lineup tonight according to Amanda Stein, the lead reporter for the team. Haula has played all 79 games for the Devils before tonight’s contest, but has taken consecutive maintenance days at practice leading up to today. With the playoffs just around the corner, it will be worth keeping an eye on Haula’s status in the coming days to see if he can get back in the lineup before the postseason.
- Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night In Canada reports former first-round draft pick Jay O’Brien is not going to sign with the Philadelphia Flyers. O’Brien just played his final college season with Boston University, scoring eight goals and 32 points in 39 games. He was taken 19th overall in the 2018 NHL Draft and the Flyers have until this August to sign him or allow him to become an unrestricted free agent. Friedman said on “32 Thoughts” segment that O’Brien will not be joining the Flyers and will become a free agent later this summer. The Flyers will receive an additional second round draft pick as compensation for not signing a former first round pick.
Flyers savvy front office with another brilliant move.