Player Discussion Paul Byron

[Runner77]

He never should have been re-signed. We have tons of smallish, quick players. These 3.4M could have been spent better somewhere else.

On a side note, congrats on your user name and avy -- you did quite a bit of time traveling from DLO's Monstrous Neck to Ben Chariot.

The avy is effective too.

Nicely done.

 

[Runner77]

His contract is a classic case of don't fall in love with depth players. His trade value must be marginal right now due to his compensation.

MB has made it a point of not only committing to depth players with term but as we've seen this off season, they were the first players he tried to sign as soon as the season was done.

And then you see several better depth players unsigned after UFA Frenzy, several more uninvited or cut from camps or available on waivers as teams have to pare down their rosters prior to the start of the season. Literally any of these can be had for the minimum and without granting more than a one year term.

What is the point of throwing term and in some cases above market dollars to depth players?

Posters keep bringing up Byron as a Bergevin trademark, making something out of nothing, a free asset. Well sure, Byron was all that. However, just like the guy who doesn't know when to leave the black jack table, you eventually end up coughing it all back and more. This was MB when he doled out that 4-year deal to Byron.

 

[Tighthead]

20 goal scorers aren't depth players... If this play continues than this contract will haunt us no doubt, but back to back 20 goal seasons and pacing to do it again before injury is not a depth roster player.

If you want to say we shouldn't have given a 4 year contract to a small, 30 year old player, who relies on speed than fine. But Paul Bryon was not a depth player for the last 2.5 years.

He is a depth player now.

It was completely foreseeable.

The past is wholly irrelevant.

 

[ahmedou]

What's he doing? Really a shadow of its former self. I've forgotten that he's in our lineup. Do him a medical test again...

 

[Runner77]

Lifted this from Reddit, quoting a post-game review by The Athletic:

"There’s something wrong with Paul Byron.

And it’s not just that he’s no longer coming close to scoring, though that’s certainly a worrying trend. In 13 games this season Byron has managed just nine shots at 5-on-5, half his shot rate from last season.

Perhaps it’s because we’re used to him outskating anyone not named McDavid or Grabner, but Byron looks slow out there.

He’s also giving up the puck with a lot more regularity and is continuously losing his defensive zone coverage.

A cursory glance at the statistics would say otherwise, but Artturi Lehkonen isn’t quite in the same boat. He’s actually creating chances, and if it weren’t for the fateful Friday the 13th when he saw a black cat as he walked under a ladder, he’d have a lot more goals."

If this is going on, why don't the Habs sit Byron? What's the point of keeping him out there, he's not himself. Something is going on, everyone is noticing it. Byron is a liability at this point.

 

[Runner77]

FWIW, during the AC segment where viewers can submit questions, someone asked what's going with Paul Byron.

Latendresse took the question and emitted two plausible scenarios.

The first has to do with what happens when you suffer a concussion. Latendresse having gone through it, says that if fear gets into you're cooked. You might feel well and everything's fine and then 5 minutes before you hop on the ice, you get a certain thought in your head, you get triggered by something you see and you get off your game. So his concussion is not resolved in terms of his mental response and how fear enters the picture.

Secondly, Byron is an easy guy to set aside. A young player needs a spot and he's moved about. He's so easy to set aside cause he never complains. Latendresse believes the Habs are not showing Byron enough respect.

Don't know if I buy the second comment. I think Byron's play will dictate where he plays and since he's not performing right now, that's what's causing him to be lower on the totem pole. The post-concussion issue appears to me to be far more plausible and likely. Who knows what is really going on.

 

[Tighthead]

FWIW, during the AC segment where viewers can submit questions, someone asked what's going with Paul Byron.

Latendresse took the question and emitted two plausible scenarios.

The first has to do with what happens when you suffer a concussion. Latendresse having gone through it, says that if fear gets into you're cooked. You might feel well and everything's fine and then 5 minutes before you hop on the ice, you get a certain thought in your head, you get triggered by something you see and you get off your game. So his concussion is not resolved in terms of his mental response and how fear enters the picture.

Secondly, Byron is an easy guy to set aside. A young player needs a spot and he's moved about. He's so easy to set aside cause he never complains. Latendresse believes the Habs are not showing Byron enough respect.

Don't know if I buy the second comment. I think Byron's play will dictate where he plays and since he's not performing right now, that's what's causing him to be lower on the totem pole. The post-concussion issue appears to me to be far more plausible and likely. Who knows what is really going on.

On the first point, Markus Naslund was never the same player after Steve Moore laid him out. I'm sure there are other examples as well. I recall some people thinking Lucic damaged Komisarek.

On the second point, I will quote Bill Parcells for the second time today. He called guys like Byron progress stoppers. The NFL is structure in a manner that allows for the ruthless treatment of vets. Parcells didn't want a merely competent vet inhibiting the progress of younger players and the team. He knew rookies and sophomores would be vastly improved by week 16 over week 1 with ample amounts of playing time, practice instruction and yelling.

 

[Michelangelo]

definitely should have traded him while his value was high(er)

smh

 

[peate]

It's a shame to see Ti-Paul going down like that. He used to be fast and that's not the case anymore. and since that's his only asset, it leaves him in no man's land. I would sit him a few games. Especially vs the Bruins.

 

[LeHab]

Ti-Paul 2nd game since coming back. 3 shots so far tonight hopefully more will be consistently coming as he only had 11 in 20 games.

 

[26Mats]

Ti-Paul 2nd game since coming back. 3 shots so far tonight hopefully more will be consistently coming as he only had 11 in 20 games.

He's playing great.

God love him, but he doesn't fit in our top 9. First line is set. He's too small to play with Suzuki and too small to play with Domi.

But playing great. His role right now should be to help the 4th line - as should Lehkonen. But Weal and Cousins are actually playing well in that role. In other words too many of the same type of player...

 

[Archijerej]

Paulie's back!

 

[The Great Weal]

Hope for his sake he keeps it up and we trade him. If Brisebois' dumbass still wants cheap bottom 6 forwards for 1st round picks+ we can retain on him after they go through cap hell this summer.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Hope for his sake he keeps it up and we trade him. If Brisebois' dumbass still wants cheap bottom 6 forwards for 1st round picks+ we can retain on him after they go through cap hell this summer.

Brisebois is after grit clearly. He would pay an arm and a leg for a winger like Gallagher

 

[26Mats]

Hope for his sake he keeps it up and we trade him. If Brisebois' dumbass still wants cheap bottom 6 forwards for 1st round picks+ we can retain on him after they go through cap hell this summer.

We're not getting a 1st for Byron.

I would be happy to get a 2nd for him. But knowing MB, in his infinite wisdom, Byron is unavailable.

 

[Habs Halifax]

We're not getting a 1st for Byron.

I would be happy to get a 2nd for him. But knowing MB, in his infinite wisdom, Byron is unavailable.

Doesn't Byron have more value than Shaw though?

 

[26Mats]

Doesn't Byron have more value than Shaw though?

Shaw had much better numbers last year than Byron has ever put up. Plus he was considered a cup winner - and Chicago thought his departure was one reason for their decline.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Shaw had much better numbers last year than Byron has ever put up. Plus he was considered a cup winner - and Chicago thought his departure was one reason for their decline.

We will see... I feel Byron or Lehkonen are the victims traded if we need cap space for other major moves. I think Byron can get a 2nd and a 3rd or 4th. 3 more yeas at $3.4M from age 31-33 is decent value for a team looking for top 9 help. He does bring a lot to the table when he is on his game.

 

[26Mats]

We will see... I feel Byron or Lehkonen are the victims traded if we need cap space for other major moves. I think Byron can get a 2nd and a 3rd or 4th. 3 more yeas at $3.4M from age 31-33 is decent value for a team looking for top 9 help. He does bring a lot to the table when he is on his game.

It's nice to see him back on his game. Perhaps his knee was bothering him at the beginning of the year.

I have little faith in anything coming out of any offseason that MB is still the GM for.

Would be interesting to add more skill this offseaon (Kovi + another skilled forward). But I expect more Cousins' and Thompson's.

 

[Habs Halifax]

It's nice to see him back on his game. Perhaps his knee was bothering him at the beginning of the year.

I have little faith in anything coming out of any offseason that MB is still the GM for.

Would be interesting to add more skill this offseaon (Kovi + another skilled forward). But I expect more Cousins' and Thompson's.

Bergevin needs the right circumstance to play out and he can take advantage. That may or may not present itself. Kopitar with the Kings and how they might want to rebuild and Kopitar ask for a trade? It's possible and that could lead to a chain of moves

 

[The Great Weal]

We're not getting a 1st for Byron.

I would be happy to get a 2nd for him. But knowing MB, in his infinite wisdom, Byron is unavailable.

Probably not, but if Barclay Goodrow got a 1st who knows

 

[26Mats]

Bergevin needs the right circumstance to play out and he can take advantage. That may or may not present itself. Kopitar with the Kings and how they might want to rebuild and Kopitar ask for a trade? It's possible and that could lead to a chain of moves

If Kopitar is traded it will be for 1sts and or futures. I don't think it's a good idea for us to give up futures for a player almost in their mid thirties.

 

[Habs]

Can't believe he's still here, should have been sent packing.

 

[angusyoung]

Can't believe he's still here, should have been sent packing.

Perhaps,but his value must have been low, and at least he's showing some spunk.

 

[26Mats]

Perhaps,but his value must have been low, and at least he's showing some spunk.

This. He could get his value back up either by the summer of the 1st quarter of next year.