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

[The Great Weal]

So your idea is to go into the future seasons with just kids, no veterans? Smart.

Byron is one of the hardest worker we have and it would be a good leader...but hey, doesn't fit our direction because we need to bring our average age down to 23 for some reason.

Tatar, Plekanec, Ward, Alzner, Benn, Schlemko, Petry...etc Also our 2 f***ing superstars that are praised to be leaders.Its not like the entire forward group is playing their 1st year in the nhl, they have a good bit of experience.

 

[donghabs98]

I thought Byron would be traded but out of our vets he was no doubt the player I wouldn't have mind if he was kept.

I'm very surprised at the amount of people continuing to refer to Byron as a bottom 6 player. I was skeptical at first if 2016-17 was a fluke but scoring 20 goals on a very bad offensive team last season shows he has offensive upside. Even if he regresses to 15-20 goals with his speed and defensive play he can still be effective. Classifying him as a top 9 player is much more accurate than bottom 6 because he is normally rotated throughout our top 3 lines.

 

[The Great Weal]

Again, care to name other bottom 6 players who score back-to-back 20 goal seasons?

you're 0/1 so far by naming Grabner since he played in the top 6 with the Rangers as I proved to you with actual facts...I bet there aren't more than 3 in the league. I can think of Kadri which is debatable.

Grabner is a 3rd liner on a contending team just like Byron.

 

[ottawa]

Tatar, Plekanec, Ward, Alzner, Benn, Schlemko, Petry...etc Also our 2 ****ing superstars that are praised to be leaders.Its not like the entire forward group is playing their 1st year in the nhl, they have a good bit of experience.

Hard to tell if Tatar/Ward will be good leaders, they just got to the team this year. Plekanec is most likely on his last contract with us.

Benn, Alzner, Petry, Schlemko, Weber are all defensemen. They're not forwards?

 

[Edgy]

While the cap is fine, I would never sign a bottom 6 guy for over 3 years. Bergevin just pissed away his chance to get a 1st back for a player that he can easily replace.

Either he's a bottom 6 guy and won't return you a first regardless of his contract or he's actually a decent top 6 and is worth a first round pick if traded. Can't have it both ways.

 

[ottawa]

Grabner is a 3rd liner on a contending team just like Byron.

So how big of a haul do you think we'd get a big haul for a bottom 6 forward? I think Byron is worth more to us than a late 2nd

 

[MXD]

I already proved he played in the top 6 with the Rangers. He was on the top 6 with Zuccarello/Miller or Miller/Hayes

That doesn't really make him a Top-6 player though...

 

[The Great Weal]

And he's not the one of the guys that needs to go.

Considering that there was a real chance of getting a 1st back, I think he could have been one if those guys. I would definitely welcome him back as a free agent.

 

[Bergevillain]

He'll be fun to watch and won't really get in the way of the tank over the next four years - fine signing!

 

[The Great Weal]

Hard to tell if Tatar/Ward will be good leaders, they just got to the team this year. Plekanec is most likely on his last contract with us.

Benn, Alzner, Petry, Schlemko, Weber are all defensemen. They're not forwards?

Great. Now don't ignore the rest of my post and you will find the answer.

 

[ottawa]

That doesn't really make him a Top-6 player though...

If he can hang in the top 6 and score 20 goals back to back while he's in the top 6, then he's closer to the top 6 than the bottom 6 to me.

 

[The Great Weal]

Either he's a bottom 6 guy and won't return you a first regardless of his contract or he's actually a decent top 6 and is worth a first round pick if traded. Can't have it both ways.

I guess you must have missed every trade deadline ever.

 

[Bergevillain]

At no point would Byron ever have been worth a 1st. He's a 20-20 player at his very best...

 

[CauZuki]

Maybr 1 year too much but it's fine , he is much more deserving than a guy like Alzner or Shaw.

 

[habs73]

Maybe one year too long but I am good with this contract, Byron is a great utility player, can play up and down the lineup and gives a consistent effort.

Creates a lot of high danger chances and I don't see that changing due to his speed.

 

[The Great Weal]

So how big of a haul do you think we'd get a big haul for a bottom 6 forward? I think Byron is worth more to us than a late 2nd

There is absolutely no way he only gets a late 2nd. THATS why I'm upset. Hes a player that we actually have the depth to replace. Far more likely that he gets a 1st instead of only a 2nd.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Tatar, Plekanec, Ward, Alzner, Benn, Schlemko, Petry...etc Also our 2 ****ing superstars that are praised to be leaders.Its not like the entire forward group is playing their 1st year in the nhl, they have a good bit of experience.

Plekanec is on a 1-year deal. Ward isn't signed. Benn is in his final year (if he's not gone before then).

Tatar and Schlemko have two years left (if they're not gone before then).

Weber, Price, Petry, and Alzner are here for 3+ years so I would count them as vets. I have no issue adding Byron to that group.

 

[The Great Weal]

At no point would Byron ever have been worth a 1st. He's a 20-20 player at his very best...

At his very best he had 43 points. Far worse players have gotten a 1st.

 

[cujo1117]

love ti-paul..,happy for him

 

[Edgy]

I guess you must have missed every trade deadline ever.

No, which is why I said you won't get a first for a bottom 6 forward. A second is the best you can hope for.

 

[The Great Weal]

Plekanec is on a 1-year deal. Ward isn't signed. Benn is in his final year (if he's not gone before then).

Tatar and Schlemko have two years left (if they're not gone before then).

Weber, Price, Petry, and Alzner are here for 3+ years so I would count them as vets. I have no issue adding Byron to that group.

The whole purpose of bringing back Plekanec was for leadership. You can always sign vets in free agency too. And who knows if Byron would have came back if we had traded him.

 

[ottawa]

Great. Now don't ignore the rest of my post and you will find the answer.

Well I won't do all the work because I'm lazy but our average age at the end of last season was 25.4

Forwards over age 25
Plekanec (gone at the end of the year)
Byron (28)
Shaw (26)
Gallagher (25)

Yeah, I'd say they could use some veteran presence. Byron will be our oldest forward next year lol.

 

[The Great Weal]

No, which is why I said you won't get a first for a bottom 6 forward. A second is the best you can hope for.

So yes you have missed every trade deadline ever. Bottom 6 players get traded for 1sts quite frequently. And even if not a 1st, there is absolutely no way he gets less than what Grabner got which was a 2nd+solid prospect.

 

[ottawa]

There is absolutely no way he only gets a late 2nd. THATS why I'm upset. Hes a player that we actually have the depth to replace. Far more likely that he gets a 1st instead of only a 2nd.

You think a bottom 6 forward will net you a 1st? Give me what you're smoking.

 

[Pacciosoftie]

Pauly B!!! Even if we do trade him, this contract adds even more value.