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

[TheBuriedHab]

Byron was on TSN690 with Melnick about an hour ago. Talked about how devastated he was when he found out that he was placed on waivers by the Flames after working so hard to get back from injuries. Talked about having to try to hide his smile the next day when the Flames called him aside to tell him he had been claimed by the Habs thinking no team would pick him up.

After listening to that interview I don't know how anyone cannot pull for this guy and be happy for him and the contract he just signed. Hopefully the audio will be up later on the TSN690 website since it's a good listen IMO.

But think of Da 2nd Round Picks Bruh!

 

[Kriss E]

Byron was on TSN690 with Melnick about an hour ago. Talked about how devastated he was when he found out that he was placed on waivers by the Flames after working so hard to get back from injuries. Talked about having to try to hide his smile the next day when the Flames called him aside to tell him he had been claimed by the Habs thinking no team would pick him up.

After listening to that interview I don't know how anyone cannot pull for this guy and be happy for him and the contract he just signed. Hopefully the audio will be up later on the TSN690 website since it's a good listen IMO.

It's great for him, just like DD making a career for himself in the NHL is also amazing for him. I wish both those guys well, but we had no reason to extend Byron given our direction.
Just move him.

 

[Kriss E]

Sigh. It's pre-season making us look better, not Kotkaniemi.

And forget Weber for 50 games. 2 weeks ago (sept 11th) he said he wants to return as soon as possible, but if it's still 4 months, he'll do 4 months.

He'd need to return a full month earlier than expected to be here 50 games as 4 months would put his return close to January 11th which is around the 45th game mark with only 37 remaining and even then, he won't be effective from the getgo, so that gives us a max of around 40 games of 100% Weber if he comes back a full month earlier. More realistically, around 25-30 games at 100% if he sticks to his prescribed date.

I do agree that the coaching will be a variable that could go for the better, but I wouldn't expect miracles considering there are gaping holes everywhere in the linepup and our division has become much tougher. I won't sell them short (coaching), but you shouldn't praise them up so quickly.

,500 hockey is, imo, a scenario where we overachieve, so I'm not expecting that.


Recent news on Shea Weber - Montreal Canadiens - Rotoworld.com

Didnt the great Mike Babcock bring the leafs to a lotto pick?..
I think Boucher is a very capable coach too and Ottawa remains a mess.
I think coaches are impactful and play an important role, but they're not miracle workers as you said, and our team sucks so badly. The only hope we have is for everyone to pretty much have a solid career year.

 

[BaseballCoach]

I think coaches are impactful and play an important role, but they're not miracle workers as you said, and our team sucks so badly. The only hope we have is for everyone to pretty much have a solid career year.

Besides health, the biggest factor is the atmosphere the coach creates. Since Chu Rien arrived, most of the players have had far from career years, unless we mean career worst.

 

[Kriss E]

Besides health, the biggest factor is the atmosphere the coach creates. Since Chu Rien arrived, most of the players have had far from career years, unless we mean career worst.

Except for Gallagher and Petry..

As bad as you want to say Julien is, I can't fault him for last year and I definitely cannot say anything for this season.
Even if he made bonehead moves like his handling of Galchenyuk or using Drouin at center, it's so irrelevant to me because that is so far from the problem the habs have.
The 13-14 Habs team was by far the best one, mostly thanks to the addition of Vanek at the deadline. Even that one had its flaws. It's very frustrating to me because had we signed Jagr like many of us wanted, and gotten Gilbert that sesason, both players had great years and we got stuck with a terrible Murray and a mediocre at best Briere.
We could have been legit contenders that year.

In any event, teams under Julien never were close to that one. So ya, some bonehead decisions, but who cares. His teams sucked and for the 2nd year in a row, he loses his best offensive players.

 

[Tiger Svoboda]

Galchenyuk was not mishandled. He had tons of opportunities. He has good skills but a poor hockey IQ.

 

[DAChampion]

Galchenyuk was not mishandled. He had tons of opportunities. He has good skills but a poor hockey IQ.

Remember when the Rangers massacred the Habs in the 2017 playoffs?

Galchenyuk didn't get an opportunity until the last ten minutes of the series. That was when Julien tried him as first line center -- the middle of the third period of an elimination game.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Except for Gallagher and Petry..

As bad as you want to say Julien is, I can't fault him for last year and I definitely cannot say anything for this season.
Even if he made bonehead moves like his handling of Galchenyuk or using Drouin at center, it's so irrelevant to me because that is so far from the problem the habs have.
The 13-14 Habs team was by far the best one, mostly thanks to the addition of Vanek at the deadline. Even that one had its flaws. It's very frustrating to me because had we signed Jagr like many of us wanted, and gotten Gilbert that sesason, both players had great years and we got stuck with a terrible Murray and a mediocre at best Briere.
We could have been legit contenders that year.

In any event, teams under Julien never were close to that one. So ya, some bonehead decisions, but who cares. His teams sucked and for the 2nd year in a row, he loses his best offensive players.

Agreed on Gallagher.

Petry scored goals that Weber might have scored, but he had a -30 or so. Worst year with Montreal.

 

[japhi]

He also traded Filip Forsberg for Martin Erat

He is a terrible GM. Got lucky and walked into a favourable expansion draft - that draft was a complete giveaway, he had a bunch of GMs with good young talent bent over. And his stated goal wasn’t even to win, he picked up a bunch of those players to flip at the TDL but his team over achieved. Look at his pickups outside of the draft - Tatar trade is embarrassing. He is now giving away the future thinking he has a contender.

Guys like GMGM and Poile get 40 years in the leauge, have a few good seasons and all of a sudden they are geniuses. No one seems to remember all the bad teams they built and the decades they led them.

 

[Rapala]

Galchenyuk was not mishandled. He had tons of opportunities. He has good skills but a poor hockey IQ.

How easily people throw around that low hockey IQ statement. NHL players got there because the reverse is usually true. Galchenyuk is no longer a Hab because he wasn't able to maintain the squeaky clean image MB wanted.

 

[japhi]

Bergevin does one of those virtually every year.

Bergevin is a tool but he hasn’t made a trade like that ever. If you think Droin for Sergachev or Subban for Weber is Erat for Forsberg I don’t know what to tell you. Erat contributed basically nothing and was out of the leage a few years later and Forsberg is a young stud. He scored two freaking goals as a Cap.

Weber’s first year he was top 6 Norris. Subban has been great in Nash but the equivalent to Erat for Forsberg would be Subban for Mike Fisher.

Drouin, who knows, that story is yet to be told. Serge is going to have to at some point start in his own end for me to declare that trade a steal by TB. Serge might end up being the better player but Drouin had 141 in 241 and is hardly Erat ( and Serge is not, at this point, Forsberg).

The genius Poile traded a first for Hartman who is skating on their 4th line.

Bottom line most GMs need a pretty long run in the NHL to have any success and all of them make shitty trades.

 

[groovejuice]

Bergevin is a tool but he hasn’t made a trade like that ever. If you think Droin for Sergachev or Subban for Weber is Erat for Forsberg I don’t know what to tell you. Erat contributed basically nothing and was out of the leage a few years later and Forsberg is a young stud. He scored two freaking goals as a Cap.

Weber’s first year he was top 6 Norris. Subban has been great in Nash but the equivalent to Erat for Forsberg would be Subban for Mike Fisher.

Drouin, who knows, that story is yet to be told. Serge is going to have to at some point start in his own end for me to declare that trade a steal by TB. Serge might end up being the better player but Drouin had 141 in 241 and is hardly Erat ( and Serge is not, at this point, Forsberg).

The genius Poile traded a first for Hartman who is skating on their 4th line.

Bottom line most GMs need a pretty long run in the NHL to have any success and all of them make ****ty trades.

You should familiarize yourself with the meaning of these fellows:

Bergevin does regularly make trades where the other team gets the superior and/or more valuable player.

 

[HuGort]

Sigh. It's pre-season making us look better, not Kotkaniemi.

And forget Weber for 50 games. 2 weeks ago (sept 11th) he said he wants to return as soon as possible, but if it's still 4 months, he'll do 4 months.

He'd need to return a full month earlier than expected to be here 50 games as 4 months would put his return close to January 11th which is around the 45th game mark with only 37 remaining and even then, he won't be effective from the getgo, so that gives us a max of around 40 games of 100% Weber if he comes back a full month earlier. More realistically, around 25-30 games at 100% if he sticks to his prescribed date.

I do agree that the coaching will be a variable that could go for the better, but I wouldn't expect miracles considering there are gaping holes everywhere in the linepup and our division has become much tougher. I won't sell them short (coaching), but you shouldn't praise them up so quickly.

,500 hockey is, imo, a scenario where we overachieve, so I'm not expecting that.


Recent news on Shea Weber - Montreal Canadiens - Rotoworld.com

Opinion I get on this team is we are a better club than the one which finished up last season. Most of it seems to be due to dramatic improvements in coaching staff. Well, you got rid of 2 bad attitudes this summer may help out some also. This is not a good club by any means. But no way are we a favorite for the top pick as some as speculating. Teams like Ottawa and Vancouver are pretty bad and there are always a couple of clubs who will be next year's Sens or Habs. In other words greatly underachieve. Always is. The get that top pick you have to basically zero go right. Then have to win a lottery on top of that, so near impossible for us to do. After Hughes this draft drops off quite a bit in skill level. Be a decent player available after 1st overall but not at the level of last season.

Juulsen and Mete, early on but under Richardson they look to be taking a step up. Petry is not playing as well as I hoped so far in camp but he is a veteran and will get going when the season starts I hope. Alzner looks like the d-man we thought we got, not a good d-man but a bottom pairing. Oullett looked good last night. He was once a top rated prospect, if Richardson can turn him around he could be good NHL caliber depth down in Laval. Something we never had last year.

If we get anything at all from Price, Niemi had a great game last night against the Leafs and responds well to Waite's coaching. We could have the best goaltending in the league. Niemi could even be traded at deadline and get a tangible draft pick.

I think we can play .500 hockey, maybe on outskirts of playoff race.

 

[Habs13]

Puke... lol. Erk this team isn't ever going to get better

 

[Kriss E]

Agreed on Gallagher.

Petry scored goals that Weber might have scored, but he had a -30 or so. Worst year with Montreal.

Petry still had a career year production wise. Yes, he was a -30 but that means very little considering how terrible our team was.

 

[SirClintonPortis]

By the time Byron is on the last year of this contract, he'll have minimal trade value. Too much term for a regular season only player whose game will never translate in the playoffs.

 

[Kojo]

By the time Byron is on the last year of this contract, he'll have minimal trade value. Too much term for a regular season only player whose game will never translate in the playoffs.

He's already a non-factor, I apologize if he read this. But on this team he's the perfect fit. Worst sport franchise in the world.

 

[WhiskeySeven*]

By the time Byron is on the last year of this contract, he'll have minimal trade value. Too much term for a regular season only player whose game will never translate in the playoffs.

It's a good risk to take, imo. Byron is of a new breed - pure speed. If he can keep it up for just four more years, he'll be of good value to the Habs or any other organization. I wouldn't call him a cornerstone piece but he's sure as hell more useful than Andrew Shaw.

 

[Cobra Commander]

Some of you are just as bad as Bergevin, no vision no direction no plan. Sorry but Byron is worth more to us as a draft pick return on trade deadline day. Then if he wanted to resign with the Habs he could do so in free agency. This is the smart thing to do if you are rebuilding and have too many wingers.
Bergevites going to Bergevin, if this impresses you then let me run this team and you would think I was a superhuman.

 

[Cobra Commander]

Remember when the Rangers massacred the Habs in the 2017 playoffs?

Galchenyuk didn't get an opportunity until the last ten minutes of the series. That was when Julien tried him as first line center -- the middle of the third period of an elimination game.

I don’t like using the word “ratarded” but it’s perfect to describe Bergevin/Julien’s handling of Galchenyuk.

 

[SirClintonPortis]

It's a good risk to take, imo. Byron is of a new breed - pure speed. If he can keep it up for just four more years, he'll be of good value to the Habs or any other organization. I wouldn't call him a cornerstone piece but he's sure as hell more useful than Andrew Shaw.

Pure speed with medium skill is actually commonplace in this league. Andrew Cogliano and Michael Grabner are also pure speed forwards with limited offensive ceilings. Forwards with Byron's skillset do not age very well or maintain their performance upon a demotion from the top 6. Only on bad teams like Montreal does Byron have the ability to get top 6 time.

 

[1909]

I don’t like using the word “ratarded” but it’s perfect to describe Bergevin/Julien’s handling of Galchenyuk.

The player did not help himself either....

 

[BaseballCoach]

It's an interesting thing you bring up.... The differences between Lehkonen and Scherbak. Think about how the Habs value certain aspects of the game. Lehkonen is well liked cause he makes less mistakes and plays a more safe game. Scherbak has more offensive ability IMO but is trying to adapt and learn on the job.... and the Habs don't give him a top 6 role cause they want him to earn it.

Here is where our viewpoints differ.

I do NOT see Scherbak as having more offensive ability than Lehkonen. What I see is a dangle here and there. Lehkonen scores goals, and he has done so mostly on ES and mostly with middle six linemates. He literally tore up the Swedish Elite league in his final playoff season there.

So with Scherbak people see the dangles, think that means "super-talent" and therefore if actual results are not there, it must be the coach's fault, the GM's fault or even the AHL coach's fault.

Scherbak got to play with Galchenyuk and scored less points per game than DeLaRose did when he got his chances.

I don't like MB nor Chu Rien, but Scherbak's troubles are also partly his own play.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Pure speed with medium skill is actually commonplace in this league. Andrew Cogliano and Michael Grabner are also pure speed forwards with limited offensive ceilings. Forwards with Byron's skillset do not age very well or maintain their performance upon a demotion from the top 6. Only on bad teams like Montreal does Byron have the ability to get top 6 time.

Byron has seen 3rd and 4th lnie time about as often as top 6, and he gets very little PP time.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Here is where our viewpoints differ.

I do NOT see Scherbak as having more offensive ability than Lehkonen. What I see is a dangle here and there. Lehkonen scores goals, and he has done so mostly on ES and mostly with middle six linemates. He literally tore up the Swedish Elite league in his final playoff season there.

So with Scherbak people see the dangles, think that means "super-talent" and therefore if actual results are not there, it must be the coach's fault, the GM's fault or even the AHL coach's fault.

Scherbak got to play with Galchenyuk and scored less points per game than DeLaRose did when he got his chances.

I don't like MB nor Chu Rien, but Scherbak's troubles are also partly his own play.

I'm not saying I like Lehkonen more than Scherbak. I don't. I was talking about opportunity and how the Habs management sees things. They think Scherbak can produce in the bottom 6. That's not his game. Lehkonen is more versatile and he can survive on the 3rd line.

It's easy for me. Put Lehkonen on the 3rd line cause we all know his skill set. Try Scherbak in the top 6 and on the PP. We have to see what this kid can do in a solid sample size. Not just one game or moving him up and down the line-up game after game.

Certain players don't belong in the bottom 6, Scherbak is one of them. Find out if he is top 6 potential by playing him in the top 6