Quote:
Originally Posted by CsInMyBlood
4th on the Flames in hits with 83.
Tied for 1st on the Flames in takeaways with 41. Thats good for 6th in the entire NHL. (Johnny has 41 as well, but 52 giveaways where Byron only has 21)
4th on Flames for PK time (Second among forwards)
Leads the team in shorthanded points with 2.
All this for the lowest cap hit by far on the team at 600K.
Yes, he is snakebitten, I feel bad for the guy but he does make his own offense on those breakaways. They will start going in. Another overlooked thing by a casual hockey fan is how he backs up the defense when the Flames are coming out of their zone. They have to respect his speed and it opens up the neutral zone. He does all the little things right.
Some fans don't respect what he brings to this team. Good thing our coaching staff totally does.
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For those stuck in the "team size is everything" mode, I believe are missing the new emphasis on skill and speed. Sure size is an advantage, when you can combine it with all the things that someone like Byron can do without it. However, in a cap system, you have to get as much as you can for your buck...and Byron more qualifies in that regard. I would be happy if he became a permanent part of our team. Hopefully, with the backing of our coaching staff, that will happen.