Paul Byron: The Gallagher of the Fourth Line?

Sep 29, 2015; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Colorado Avalanche goalie Calvin Pickard (31) stops a shot behind defenseman Nick Holden (2) and Calgary Flames center Paul Byron (32) during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

Let’s face it, the Montreal Canadiens have never shied away from giving players of small stature a shot. Henri Richard (5’7″ 160 lbs), Mats Naslund (5’7″ 160 lbs), and David Desharnais (5’7″ 175 lbs) are just a few examples that compare to Paul Byron’s 5’7″ 155 lbs. It’s what’s inside that smaller stature that attracts – or repels – Habs brass from acquiring a player.

Bob Hartley agrees with this theory as he was quoted as saying about Byron:

"“The size of the heart is much more important than the physical size. Here’s a guy who plays like he’s 6-foot-2, 6-foot-3. He’s not avoiding traffic.”"

The Habs already had a player who plays this role before Byron arrived, his name is Brendan Gallagher. Although he “towers” over Byron with 2 inches on him, he plays the role of a pest, front of the net traffic expert, and fast winger to perfection.

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Sometimes, once you’ve bought into the value that a guy like Gallagher brings to a team you tend to look for more players like him. That’s because you know how rare it is, how impactful it is, and most importantly how effective it is every single night a game is played. These kind of players don’t usually take nights off. They feed off the hard work and it almost looks like the more they get bounced around, the harder they work.

If and when he suits up for the fourth line, Paul Byron will likely skate alongside Torrey Mitchell and either Brian Flynn or Devante Smith-Pelly. With the Habs needing more grit after the loss of Zack Kassian, my bet would be on Smith-Pelly getting more playing time than Flynn, but that’s really just a hunch. We saw how quickly he came to Subban’s game after the Leo hit to his back. In either case, whether it’s Flynn or Smith-Pelly, you can expect Byron to continue to do what he does best and to be a thorn in the other team’s side.

His go to areas are the same as Gallagher’s, he gets knocked around just as much as Gallagher does in front of the net, and his never back down attitude tends to surprise players who don’t expect that out of a smaller statured player. With Mitchell being fairly effective on the face-offs, there’s a good chance that Byron’s nose for the net could get the fourth line more opportunities to support the scoring.

One of Gallagher’s best attributes is that he makes his team mates better by the space he creates on the ice. I believe that Paul Byron will have the same kind of impact on the Habs 4th line, and possibly the 3rd line sometime in the future. It’s exactly what he was able to do in Calgary.

Here’s a comparison of some of Gallagher (last season) and Byron’s highest achievement in each category:

Hits: Gallagher 48, Byron 101
CF%: Gallagher 54%, Byron 50.8%
FF%: Gallagher 53,4%, Byron 51.7%
PDO: Gallagher 102.1, Byron 104.3
PPG: Gallagher 0.56, Byron 0.45
GC: Gallagher 0.26, Byron 0.16
Shooting %: Gallagher 9.4%, Byron 15.2%

The point I’m trying to make in showing you these comparisons is not to say that Byron will become Brendan Gallagher overnight and be placed on the 2nd line. What I’m saying is that his value and effectiveness on the 4th line could be as impactful as Gallagher’s value to the top line. Not only do I believe the Habs and their fans will fall in love with this player once they get to see him play, but I believe he’ll find a very important role that will make both of his line mates better every single game.

Sep 25, 2015; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Andrei Pedan (29) and Calgary Flames center Paul Byron (32) battle for the puck during the third period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Calgary Flames won 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

Just like Gallagher, Paul Byron doesn’t take a game – or shift – off. He is still in the NHL for this very reason. If he didn’t do that, there would be a bigger player on the roster and he’d be working somewhere else.

Let’s consider the impact that having an effective fourth line would do for the Habs.

They’d be more likely to roll four lines more often, which would keep everyone fresh
The play would be more likely to be dominated in the other team’s end overall
They should be able to provide more scoring
If anything, they’d wear down opponents more handily and frustrate them more often as well

While he may not suit up every single night, the Habs may have picked up a gem on the waiver wire. If he’s as valuable to their 4th line as I expect he will become, he’ll provide Torrey Mitchell more room to work with and allow the line to produce more offensively.

The more I examine this pickup, the more I think it will become an extremely important one as the season wears on.

Next: Montreal Canadiens: Usual Suspects Lead Way

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