[Signing] Flames re-sign Paul Byron (1 yr)

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by Matty81

perhaps if you give me something to work with I can clarify

Okay....

but NHL experience is a big part of them getting better, 2 or 3 seasons in the A is great but after a point you move them up or they will plateau in their development

That describes Byron, had a few seasons in the AHL and now he's earned a spot on our NHL roster, so time to "move him up" as you say.....

....but then this.....

I like Byron but I hope he ends up in Glen Falls.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by New Era

Gaudreau will have to play lights out to make the team out of camp. Not just good, but great. We know there is going to be a limit on the number of munchkins on the team and having another one on a one way deal makes it that much harder for a kid to step in and take the job. I'd prefer that guys with long term potential play on the team if they show any semblance of being ready. Just my opinion.

The a Flames will play Gaudreau wherever they feel is the right spot to develop his game for the long term potential as you put. They are aware that they are rebuilding, which means they will invest and make decisions with the long term development of key future players in mind first. Problem around here is many assume the best thing for all prospects is to play as much NHL as quickly as possible, simply not the case.

Byron's performance will directly impact nothing for Gaudreau next year. The most connected they could possibly is if not outplaying Byron is the indicator to the Flames that Gaudreau needs to develop in the AHL, but that's it.

People need to stop freaking out about "how well our prospects will need to play to earn a spot". Each of them will be placed where there development dictates they should go. Last year, Monahan proved he was far enough along that the best place for him to develop was the NHL, while Sven's development was seen as best suited to the AHL. Gaudreau will get his own evaluation, and will not be based on Byron.

[mile]

Originally Posted by Matty81

I like Byron but I hope he ends up in Glen Falls. All the talk of the young guys earning spots is valid, but NHL experience is a big part of them getting better, 2 or 3 seasons in the A is great but after a point you move them up or they will plateau in their development, needs to be a balance between stunting them and going full Oiler.

I don't think there is ever a risk of a prospect plateauing from spending more time in the AHL - there is always an aspect in their game that can be improved upon.

Gustav Nyquist spent nearly 3 full seasons in the AHL and even though he could have stepped in the Red Wing's lineup much sooner than that, it looks like the extra time spent in developmental has really paid off.

I think Byron himself is an example of what patience and time in prospects results in - someone with his limited upside has managed to find his niche in the NHL and become an effective everyday player. Considering our prospects probably have a larger upside than Byron, how good can they be given more time? Byron should be played in the lineup for the time being while our prospects can be given time develop the way he did.

[Matty81]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Okay....

That describes Byron, had a few seasons in the AHL and now he's earned a spot on our NHL roster, so time to "move him up" as you say.....

....but then this.....

Ah OK fair enough.

I hope he ends up in Glen Falls because it means one of the younger players have beat him out for a spot and I think we have quite a few forwards in the AHL with a higher ceiling than him.

Love the guy's work ethic and respect him a ton. I don't think he'll ever be top 5-10 in the NHL in any forward slot (people are free to agree) and that's what the flames should be building towards, 1st line through to 4th.

[Matty81]

Originally Posted by mile

I don't think there is ever a risk of a prospect plateauing from spending more time in the AHL - there is always an aspect in their game that can be improved upon.

That's a tough one, I think right now that Red Wings logic is really popular in NHL circles but for me, tougher opposition sometimes does make better players too. Gotta appraise players as individuals and choose the best path for each one.

Some guys wilt at the NHL level if they are not ready, some rise to the challenge and improve on a much steeper curve.

Nyqvist is a good example of a guy who took a longer time to ripen as Treliving would say but I think of a guy like Sean Monahan... would he have been a better player now if he played last season in the OHL? I think better competition and training with better players improved him more quickly myself and he will be better in 3 or 4 years from having played in the NHL then he would have been after 2 more years in Ottawa and another 2 in Glen Falls.

[Bandwagon In Flames]

My biggest fear when I saw Byron wasn't qualified, was that it may contribute to the Flames losing the hard-working identity they established last year.

He gives it his all every shift, isn't scared to bump anyone and plays a smart, quick and entertaining game. Hard to believe a man of his stature has so many valuable NHL quality assets.

[Henry Fool]

Every NHL team has more players that can play than open spots. I don't understand how more competition could possibly be a problem.

Also, Granlund will outplay everyone at camp.

[Hatter]

Happy to see Byron back. He's fearless out there.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Nobody knows where Byron's ceiling really is. He may even turn out to be a quality 1st liner. Some kids take a long time to just develop. Byron also had some bad luck with regards to injuries, and this slowed his development down a bit after the Regehr trade. I myself was very negative about that trade, but tried to be open-minded about Byron and Butler as pieces for the future on the team. I didn't like either of them (felt Butler was no better than a 6-7th d, and Byron was AHL fodder only) for the first couple of years.

Byron has since cranked it up a notch. How many notches does he have? If you watch him play, he is actually quite the slick player with great hockey sense, and he has wheels. He is able to make plays in-tight.

At some point, the Flames are going to start making more 'hard decisions' and cut guys that many on here actually love (and I mean really hard decisions, not Dustin Boyd decisions). Competition means that some legitimately good prospects are going to be traded or just released down the line. I thought the Flames were making that decision with Byron when they didn't qualify him, and though I was sad to see him go, just viewed it as a 'tough decision' they had to make to change the roster.

Glad he is back for another year, and I really want to see if he has another gear or two yet, which wouldn't surprise me. He is a 'heart and soul' player, is skilled and fits in PERFECTLY with Hartley's system, and what the Flames I think are trying to become (hard-working, skilled, black and blue hockey).

Really happy to see him back for at least another season. I really do think he is an 'nhl player'. Hope he stays healthy and continues with his upward trajectory.

As a side note, Byron is not the perfect example for Gaudreau in how to play, however. He is the perfect example for anyone wearing the Flaming C, big or small.

[oldschoolcalgary]

Glad to see any hard working kid get rewarded...

but the Flames management sure didn't think as highly of Byron as this board does if they were willing to let him walk away for nothing.

As for the arbitration case, clearly the Flames didn't think he was going to be worth the $ that potentially could be awarded, so the rolled the dice, cut him loose and then offered him less on a one year contract...

I am sure this won't be a popular opinion, but whatever...

[jeffman]

Originally Posted by oldschoolcalgary

Glad to see any hard working kid get rewarded...

but the Flames management sure didn't think as highly of Byron as this board does if they were willing to let him walk away for nothing.

As for the arbitration case, clearly the Flames didn't think he was going to be worth the $ that potentially could be awarded, so the rolled the dice, cut him loose and then offered him less on a one year contract...

I am sure this won't be a popular opinion, but whatever...

I think it was the typical " Small player GTFO" mentality

[FBI]

At least cammy is gone so our small player allotment is still ok.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

Nobody knows where Byron's ceiling really is. He may even turn out to be a quality 1st liner. Some kids take a long time to just develop.

While this is true, Byron is hardly a kid. He's 25 - the age at which the average NHL forward has his highest-scoring season.

[Bandwagon In Flames]

Originally Posted by jeffman

I think it was the typical " Small player GTFO" mentality

That definitely explains why he just got a 1-way contract instead of a 2-way Qualifying Offer.

I'm also sure the Flames didn't talk to Byron and had no clue if he wanted to stay or walk.

/sarcasm.

[mile]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

As a side note, Byron is not the perfect example for Gaudreau in how to play, however. He is the perfect example for anyone wearing the Flaming C, big or small.

Definitely agree with this statement. It is easy to say players with Byron's work ethic are replaceable until you replace them with the duds that have populated our 3rd/4th lines over the last 5+ years or so. Work ethic and consistency are attributes that should be placed near or at the top of the list, and definitely over size.

Aside from Bouma, Byron was probably our most effective 3rd/4th line guy last season, and I don't think I've seen players work as hard as these two do since Darryl Sutter was coaching the Flames.

[cral12]

Well played, Flames - starting to get a little worried size was the only thing that matters to Treliving et al...Byron, as everyone has mentioned, extremely well deserving of this. Glad he's sticking around.

[Nehkara]

Thrilled with this signing. Byron had an awesome finish to 2013/14 and looked like he was showing definitively that he can be a full-time NHLer. He played much bigger than his size and was thoroughly impressive on the forecheck.

Byron had 5 goals and 10 points in his final 17 games of 2013/14, was +5 and averaged 16:33 TOI/g.

[getbak]

Looking at the dates of overlapping injuries, by my count, the Flames had exactly one game last season where they dressed their complete "ideal" 20-man roster. That was game #1 against Washington (and even then, Colborne didn't play because he had just been acquired).

Stajan was injured during the first game of the season. Before he returned, Gio went down for a month and a half. Before he returned, Wideman got hurt. It continued on like that with Jones, Glencross, and Cammalleri all missing blocks of games plus other guys scattered throughout the season.


That's why I don't think it's important to hold spots on the roster for the young guys who are ready to step up. Injuries are inevitable and those guys will get their chance (and if the injuries don't happen, the extra bodies are tradable to the teams that do get hit hard with injuries).

If you have Wotherspoon pencilled in as the 7th man in Calgary, all it takes is one injured d-man and Spoon is playing and Cundari is in Calgary. Two injuries and it's probably the Acolatse kid they signed today. Beyond that, you're hoping that Ramage or Sieloff are ready.

[Stay Golden]

For a player that was on the bubble going into last season, being sent down but then making the most of his AHL time. Byron earned the call up and I wasn't a big supporter of the guy when he got called up. Definitely misjudged him.
Byron worked his tail off and made himself a spot on the Flames roster I had nothing but respect for how he approached his opportunity to stick with the Flames.
He deserved the second thought contract he just signed. Happy for the kid.
It will be tougher to make the roster. I think the forwards are deeper than last year but I still think the coaches will give Byron a good look again.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Any word on the dollar amount? Not a cap concern, just curious.