Confirmed with Link: Montreal Canadiens Sign Paul Byron to 4-Year Extension ($3.4M AAV)

[Habs Icing]

Runner, have you read this thread? Many of the posters do love him but don't want him around and would not have given him that contract.

 

[Runner77]

It's a Paul Byron Extravaganza!!!

Including your favorite meme getting hacked into the city's electronic sign at the bottom left.

 

[Habs Icing]

I guess I'm one of the few that's not buying into this rebuild through sucking for the next few years. Honestly, I hope any team that does that loses for a couple of decades. Did I say decades? I meant centuries.

So having said that I'm glad we kept Lord Byron.

BTW, how many of you wishing to win through losing are aware of the saying A bird in hand is worth two in the bush?

 

[Runner77]

Runner, have you read this thread? Many of the posters do love him but don't want him around and would not have given him that contract.

Yeah, I know. That's why I attached the first meme to a favorable user comment.

You had to know that this is exactly the kind of player Bergevin loves. Gotten on the cheap and great attitude.

Age, window, redundancy -- what are those?

 

[scrubadam]

Max wasn't demanding an 8x8 deal. That was either paranoia or manipulation on the part of those who wanted him out.

And no, it was not Gauthier, it was Bergevin in August of 2012.

Ok I always thought Max signed before MB. Well he managed to get a steal of a contract on that one. As far as the 2nd contract for Max I think most fans are glad he wasn't resigned. And if MB did resign him I highly doubt he would of nickled and dimed him and I think he would of given him a big contract like he gave to Price, or whatever Max would of asked for.

 

[beh3moth]

Good player, good signing. You need guys like Byron around to mentor the younger players, and he's entertaining to watch. I'd rather keep him than ship him out for a 2nd.

 

[EXPOS123]

Another idiotic move by our idiot gm. This team should be stockpiling nothing but picks and prospects at this point, not to mention shedding excess salary, not wasting 9.5 million of cap space on bottom third and fourth liners (Shaw, Byron, PLeks). Can't just have a team full of rookies you say? Fine, sign some useful vets off the scrap heap for one year league minimum deals. God I hate this gm with a passion...

 

[scrubadam]

Arizona should be a decent team. A team with a healthy Price near impossible to bottom out. Since he is arguably best player in game if healthy. Yes, he has been injured these last few seasons but looks healthy. Pacioretty only scored 17 goals last year. Price is going to make up those easily.

If ARZ is a decent team, then outside of Ottawa on paper (and no Price) who has a worse team then the Habs?

I am not the biggest Price fan so I don't think he is going to be able to play good enough this year to drag this team anywhere. But look stranger things have happened. COL went from a sure lottery team to a playoff team. So ya its possible this team is going to be better than everyone says. But I would still bet that they are going to be battling for the bottom of the league. Who is worst comes down to injuries and turmoil in the locker room/coaching staff/GM.

Habs had a bottom 5 team and got rid of its 2 best offensive weapons, and this is with a team that struggles to score. No 1D for half the season and nothing done to replace it. The only hope this team has is Price playing out of his mind. Only thing MB could do to make this team worse then he did was to Tanya Hardin Price's knee before game 1.

 

[mariolemieux66]

Good player, good signing. You need guys like Byron around to mentor the younger players, and he's entertaining to watch. I'd rather keep him than ship him out for a 2nd.

There are plenty of veterans without Byron.
And why extend him now? Do we know if his shoulder is healed?

 

[TheBuriedHab]

There are plenty of veterans without Byron.
AMD why extend him now? Do we know if his shoulder is healed?

You understand they do medicals as training camp opens? You did watch the last couple games too right?

 

[scrubadam]

I guess I'm one of the few that's not buying into this rebuild through sucking for the next few years. Honestly, I hope any team that does that loses for a couple of decades. Did I say decades? I meant centuries.

So having said that I'm glad we kept Lord Byron.

BTW, how many of you wishing to win through losing are aware of the saying A bird in hand is worth two in the bush?

I think Molsons plan (because I don't think its MB's plan) is the TOR plan. Bomb out 1 year and get a top pick and then make moves to improve your team.

We have our Marner in Kotka. Hopefully we can land our Matthews in Hughes this year. Byron is like our Kadri. I am sure tons of TOR fans wanted Kadri gone for the rebuild an assets, but good thing they kept him.

We don't have a Nylander yet so lets hope someone can step up, maybe Drouin, maybe Phoeling, maybe a guy we drafted last year.

If we suck this year we will have "tanked" for 3 out of the last 4 years. We are getting into EDM/BUF territory here we can't keep losing. At worst I would look at 2020 as a tank year because that draft is supposed to be really good too but tanking for any more time is a no go.

 

[Grand Admiral Thrawn]

Always liked this player. His speed kills.

So many good things about this guy. Speedy, superb penalty killer, has a scoring touch, defensively sound, like Gallagher he's all heart, doesn't back down from anyone and brings some excitement with that speed of his.

3.4 mill aav is just fine and well deserved. Furthermore, if he gets another 20 goal season or 2, he can easily be traded at that cap and length.

Plus guys like McCarron, Shinkaruk, are gone.

If we need to trade someone it should be Sherbak.

Anyways, great deal!
Happy for Byron.

 

[scrubadam]

There are plenty of veterans without Byron.
And why extend him now? Do we know if his shoulder is healed?

Looked pretty good last night on his goal.

 

[Habs]

Another idiotic move by our idiot gm. This team should be stockpiling nothing but picks and prospects at this point, not to mention shedding excess salary, not wasting 9.5 million of cap space on bottom third and fourth liners (Shaw, Byron, PLeks). Can't just have a team full of rookies you say? Fine, sign some useful vets off the scrap heap for one year league minimum deals. God I hate this gm with a passion...

Breakaway Byron and his one dimensional game.. can't believe the money he got.

 

[OldCraig71]

Maybe in today's NHL it is better for both teams involved in trades to have some form of cost certainty before making trades. 20 goals means much more in today's NHL than it used to and having a decent contract for that type of production might make the player a more attractive option, he does kill penalties and skates like the wind. I think he is easier to trade with a new deal but I might be wrong here.

 

[CHarlie]

Maybe in today's NHL it is better for both teams involved in trades to have some form of cost certainty before making trades. 20 goals means much more in today's NHL than it used to and having a decent contract for that type of production might make the player a more attractive option, he does kill penalties and skates like the wind. I think he is easier to trade with a new deal but I might be wrong here.

youre absolutely right.....but i dont think we signed him to trade him....what a great player he is on an excellent contract

 

[Rapala]

I'd like to weigh-in but i have a bone stuck in my throat.
We did WOT? The pattern has been a losing one MB how is this going to help?
Keep Byron around and claim you have team speed...

 

[Grand Admiral Thrawn]

Another idiotic move by our idiot gm. The team should be stockpiling nothing but picks and prospects at this point, not to mention shedding excess salary, not wasting 9.5 million of cap space on bottom third and fourth liners (Shaw, Byron, PLeks). Can't just have a team full of rookies you say? Fine, sign some useful vets off the scrap heap for one year league minimum deals. God I hate this gm with a passion...

Can't just have a team full of rookies you say? Fine, sign some useful vets off the scrap heap.

Theres an oxymoron of I ever heard of one.

Useful and scrap heap. I don't believe you thought much before posting guy.

Here's a newsflash for you... Byron is a Useful vet!!! And he ain't from the scrap heap.

 

[Nedved]

he's such an average player. I like him for the pk, and 5 on 5 for the third line, fill in if there's injury at the second but not sure if he fits the direction/rebuild of the habs. dime a dozen guy, not where I would be investing, but to each their own. I'll just watch and enjoy the year, no expectations to be a good team.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Another idiotic move by our idiot gm. This team should be stockpiling nothing but picks and prospects at this point, not to mention shedding excess salary, not wasting 9.5 million of cap space on bottom third and fourth liners (Shaw, Byron, PLeks). Can't just have a team full of rookies you say? Fine, sign some useful vets off the scrap heap for one year league minimum deals. God I hate this gm with a passion...

We did the scrap heap deals already. Fleischmann semi-worked, Semin, Streit, Hemsky bombed, and Joel Ward and his 5 goals are available now.

Yes, we should trade pleks and Shaw will retire soon enough or be healthy enough to trade, but Byron is not the same person as Pleks nor Shaw - much more useful.

 

[BaseballCoach]

he's such an average player.

This average player is around 35th in the league among forwards for even-strength goals by a forward the past two seasons. There are 372 regular forwards.

So average!

 

[BaseballCoach]

That's still a fair chance to have something once we will be ready to win. Usually there's around three top 6 players on average (including top 4 dmen) drafted in the 2nd round. Some years there's more and some years there's less but on average i would say it's about 10%.

The chances for Byron to still be a 20 goals scorer once we will be ready to win are imo very very slim. Less than those 10%.

Imo this contract is bad assets management.

I don't think the Habs will ever be ready to win, for some folks here. For some, a second-round loss means you have a bad team and are not ready to win.

Of course you will never be ready to win if you don't start winning.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Much rather trade him at the deadline instead of keeping him long term. By the time, were ready to compete he will be on the decline.

SO were you one of the people who were applauding Bergevin for letting Radulov go?

 

[MrNasty]

Great signing. great role model for similar players on the team and he signed to a below average NHL salary.
He fits in with the new NHL and would have been coveted by many teams as a UFA.

 

[Nedved]

This average player is around 35th in the league among forwards for even-strength goals by a forward the past two seasons. There are 372 regular forwards.

So average!

I don't see him as an individual, but what he adds to a team. He's average. Did the habs statistically change when Byron went out? not significantly, like when price goes down or when markov was out. those guys are difference makers, otherwise, i don't see him more than an average player. what the goal difference between 35 and 200? 4 goals?