Paul Byron has been a core member of the Montreal Canadiens for years, but if management wants to insert youth into the lineup, it could lead to a trade.
The Montreal Canadiens found some serious gold when they decided to claim Paul Byron from waivers. That first season saw Byron put up 11 goals and 7 assists, and he defined himself as the penalty-killing speedster the Habs could rely on. The following two seasons had the bargain look even better with the Ottawa native hit the 20-goal mark in back-to-back years, but what really stood out was his impact in the locker room as part of the Habs’ leadership group.
Marc Bergevin extended the appreciation to Byron, signing him to a four-year deal ahead of the 2018-19 season. That’s when the misfortune started to come his way.
Byron dealt with injuries these last two seasons, which saw him miss 24 games last year and 40 this year. Another thing that decreased was his average ice time. The 30-year-old had moments of playing in the top-nine, but there were stretches of him on the fourth-line. One-off stretches of that are fine; if it becomes more of chronic appearance, then the Montreal Canadiens will need to seriously consider trading him.
If the Habs make no trades on the left-side, Byron is starting the season on the fourth line. Tomas Tatar is returning for his last season while Jonathan Drouin and Artturi Lehkonen are very much still on the team. As for the right, Brendan Gallagher and Joel Armia are the only remaining confirmees for next year.
However, you have to think Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Ryan Poehling won’t spend another season with the Laval Rocket. And what about Jake Evans? It looks as if he’s ready to be a full-time NHLer after another year of stardom leading the Rocket in scoring with 14 goals and 24 points in 51 games while putting up 2 goals and an assist in 13 games with the Habs.
There’s also the possibility of Jesse Ylonen coming out swinging for a roster spot at training camp. The easy option would be to let him play the season in the AHL, but many had the same expectations for Nick Suzuki, and he went on to win a spot on the team and into the top-six. The Montreal Canadiens should leave room for Ylonen to go through the same process if he proves he can compete.
And even if roster room isn’t a defining factor, Byron’s position in relation to his contract is a red flag. A fourth-line player making $3.4 million is a tough pill to swallow even if they’re getting time on the penalty kill. The Canadiens have already spent three years dealing with Karl Alzner‘s $4.625 million cap-hit, which has spent the majority of its time in the organization with the Rocket.
That’s not to say Bergevin will send Byron to the minors if there isn’t enough space on the roster. It’s more along the lines of the Habs have spent enough cap on players they can’t use to the best of their ability, and I doubt they want to keep that up.
Maybe other trades happen down the line that frees up space and allows the team to upgrade in other areas. Alexander Romanov is on the way, but Bergevin may still be looking for ways to improve the blue line and perhaps it takes a player like Lehkonen to get it done.
Regardless, I feel there’s a time that will come where the Montreal Canadiens trade Paul Byron to address the spacing. It will be unfortunate given how impactful he’s been as a part of the core, but it’s the business of the NHL, and a trap the organization can’t find themselves in.