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

[Phil Parent]

After losing many favourites in the last few years, many fans will be happy to learn that Ti-Paul commited to stay long term on what is IMO a team-friendly deal for, again IMO, an elite 3rd liner and PKer.

He's this humble little with the great set of wheels and the big heart who was shitcanned by his previous team so that they could keep Brendan f***ing Bollig instead. He was claimed off waivers after the brass saw a Youtube video showing off his wheels and breakaway abilities. Also, a QMJHL alumni, played in Gatineau where he met and married a local girl.

To me somebody like Byron is what the Canadiens should be all about. It's not about flashing for the cameras or waiting for your scoring opportunity so you can make the goal counter go up with minimal effort, no, it's about about honest workrate, skills and believing that wearing this jersey is special.

I don't see Ti-Paul asking for a trade like a coward when the going gets tough, as a matter of fact, he just did the opposite. He'll help our kids come up, he'll be a good exemple and have a positive attitude. That's how you don't breed a bunch of losers, I'm sure Edmonton could use a Paul Byron.

 

[RealityBytes]

That's a surprisingly very team friendly deal, he could have had more if he tested the market next summer. He must really want to stay in Montreal, which is fine by me, he's an easy player to like. I'm not all that convinced he would have fetched close to what he's worth trade wise anyway, we might as well keep him.

He is 5'9" tall, 29 yrs old, played for two other NHL teams and was waived ... there is NO way he would pass up a contract that gives him $13.6M.

 

[NobleSix]

[tweet]

"Competing while rebuilding" lol

That's the half assed ideology that got us into this situation in the first place.

 

[Milhouse40]

He earned every dollars. I have no problem with this.
The league is all about speed and he's still one of the fastest out there.

Having said that....it's just one more move that says : There's no rebuild here.

 

[Zorba]

Well deserved
He and and Gallagher are great examples for the young players. Never take shifts off
Great deal

 

[Andrei79]

What other 5'9, 160 lbs 20 goal scoring winger got a 1st? I think he's better than a lot of players that got a 1st, but I'm not sure other GMs see it that way.

Off the top of my head, I can't think of any being traded in recent years, so I'm not sure we have the sample size.

 

[The Great Weal]

This is stupid. Should have traded him.

 

[Tyson]

I don't know how he will look like in 4 years, but right now, I love the player. Ok deal.

In 4 years he will still have that same speed! Good signing!

 

[mariolemieux66]

Absolutely stupid to extend Byron. Montreal doesnt need him, they need the assets he would have returned.

Bergevin loves his bottom 6 players.

 

[Tyson]

Agreed but we should trade Shaw right now even for a 7th rounder...

Shaw is damaged goods. No serious GM will take a guy with his injury issues

 

[Tyson]

Absolutely stupid to extend Byron. Montreal doesnt need him, they need the assets he would have returned.

Bergevin loves his bottom 6 players.

Two 20 goal seasons and a breakaway threat every time he is on the ice. This guy competes every shift. Great signing

 

[The Great Weal]

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.

 

[SakuKoivu11]

Byron is a character player. Skates like the wind. Penalty shot specialist. Plays bigger than his size and has low body Center gravity. He’s actually a really good third line player.

I would go with 3 A this year. Without Weber it’s going to be Gallagher Lehkonen and Byron.

 

[japhi]

This is my takeaway. Just another example of Bergy's lack of vision (we had another good example at the draft with Hillis). We can go over so many of these moves and while they're not bad at face value, but in the grand scheme of things they don't make sense.

Signing veteran talent makes no sense? 20 goal penalty killer with tons of speed for 3mm? You realize we have to put a lineup on the ice right?

This is a great deal, these are exactly the types of players you keep around during a rebuild. Rebuilding doesn’t mean icing a lineup full of scrubs or rookies.

 

[ottawa]

Agreed but we should trade Shaw right now even for a 7th rounder...

I can't think of many people that would want a questionably healthy (or unhealthy) Shaw.

 

[ottawa]

This is my takeaway. Just another example of Bergy's lack of vision (we had another good example at the draft with Hillis). We can go over so many of these moves and while they're not bad at face value, but in the grand scheme of things they don't make sense.

At the end of the day, you need to ice a team and hit the cap floor. I would have rather seen him traded but no issues with bringing him back.

 

[habdynasty]

The guy can score goals and is an awesome penalty killer. Good deal

 

[Monsieur Miz]

Byron is a character player. Skates like the wind. Penalty shot specialist. Plays bigger than his size and has low body Center gravity. He’s actually a really good third line player.

I would go with 3 A this year. Without Weber it’s going to be Gallagher Lehkonen and Byron.

Lehkonen ?!
Give one to Petry, what the f***.

 

[Kwikwi]

French speaking all around good player on and off the ice. Good deal.
We will find room.

 

[ottawa]

Absolutely stupid to extend Byron. Montreal doesnt need him, they need the assets he would have returned.

Bergevin loves his bottom 6 players.

Can you name me other bottom 6 players that got back-to-back 20 goal seasons?

 

[The Great Weal]

I also dont think that we will trade Tatar at this deadline. Just by watching pre season, Plekanec has lost another step. Dont think we can sucker a GM into giving up a 2nd for him.

 

[MXD]

The deal in and of itself is great... I just don't know why it exists in the first place.

 

[The Great Weal]

Can you name me other bottom 6 players that got back-to-back 20 goals

Grabner. Nothing against Paul, I like the player. However, this was not the right move. Should have gotten some picks.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

Don't agree that we should have traded him. We need to keep some proven vets around. This guy is well worth 3.4 million, I think he's worth more to us on our roster than the pick(s) we likely could have gotten for him. The chances of getting a player as good as Byron with a couple 2nds isn't very high anyway. I like this deal.

 

[japhi]

It's high time to convert our plethora of assets on the wing into high quality picks and prospects or dmen.

This contract doesn't help that. We have a log jam at forward and imo young players with little trade value but good ceilings (Hudon, Lehkonen, Scherbak) need to play. They will improve with play.

But you aren’t getting a high quality picks or prospects for Byron. We got him on waivers for gods sake. It would be stupid to trade him for a second round pick or a b level prospect. He is only 29 and seems to be getting better, he is a guy you keep around for the rebuild.