Quote:
Originally Posted by FlameZilla
Byron, a serviceable utility player, on a near-league-minimum contract is a much greater asset than if he had been awarded a contract of, say, $850,000-1,000,000. It's not that they were 'scared' of arbitration. They're just being savvy & getting the player at the best value they can.
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Sure, assuming one way contracts, Byron at 600,000 is a better asset than Byron at 850,000. I don't disagree. But Byron at 600,000 playing for the Capitals is worth nothing to the Flames and by making him a UFA they made that a completely plausible option. Which at the very least means they weren't afraid to lose him. Which you seem to agree with.
As for arbitration. People can bring up the MacArthurs but Byron's camp wouldn't be clear of risk here. They would have to argue how the lightest (and yes, that's admissible despite some claims in here) "NHL player" with less than a full season played total, who failed to make one of the worst rosters in the league to the start the season and who's career high in games played was just over half the season with 47 should be awarded with a one-way contract. And for every "comparable" player making over a million dollars, like Zuccarello, there's Bonino, Sexton and Brunnstrom who signed for 700,000 or less. Speaking of which, all 4 of those fringe NHL players at the time filed for arbitration and all avoided them. Very good chance that the Flames and Byron would have done the same. I think the arbitration
risk is being overblown to try and justify why he wasn't signed right away. If the Flames really want to avoid arbitration, why didn't they do something similar for Colborne? If the Flames and Byron were going to sign anyways, why didn't they sign before free agent frenzy?
So by letting him reach UFA they were willing to lose him, that's not speculation it's fact, and by signing him after free agency they had already determined (more or less) which free agents they would be able to sign. Occam's razor would suggest that they were able to reassess their team and decided there was a spot for Byron but he wasn't their first and only option. Which there isn't anything wrong with. Byron still gets his chance and the Flames get a player with something to prove who at worst acts as a stopgap utility forward until some prospects show up.