"I Like Paul Byron"

[Roof-Daddy]

Byron is small, but he's a good player and doesn't play small.

He's been pretty unlucky since coming to the Flames, it's nice to see him finally get a decent chance to prove himself......and do good things with that chance.

[BACKCHECK!!!]

Byron skates around very fast.

And he works very hard.

Skating in between Bouma and McGrattan helps mitigate some of the size mismatch he faces by being literally the single smallest player in the entire league.

I still don't think he should be in the NHL, but yes, I think I can agree with the statement "I like Paul Byron".

[Yoho]

Give Byron GlenX's ice time

[MacFlame]

I thought he was probably ready last year, but then he got injured.

He's a good player, if used properly. Penalty kill and energy line is where he's best suited..even though he's small.

[MissTeeks]

“@KristenOdlandCH: Flames head coach Bob Hartley on Paul Byron (1G, 1A and 14:20 of icetime) ... "He’s finding a way to spend Christmas in Calgary."”

[Cheese]

The perfect excuse to keep Sven in the minors until he "learns" the game.

[midniteowl]

Originally Posted by Poe969

These threads suck. Seems like there is an "I like" for almost every player.... This is a bottom 3 team in the NHL and people like this team lol?

This is funny, I assume you don't like this team, but if you don't like the team, why are you following them then? Why are you even on their forum?

[BACKCHECK!!!]

Yeah, I'd also say that he's actually one of the best PK guys on the Flames.

Still don't think he'll stick.

[djsFlames]

Fyi, flames are not in the bottom 3, they don't quite suck enough, but a bottom 10 team, sure.

Regardless, this is about a player and his personal success so the nay sayers are way out of line with these idiotic comments. Purely trying to s### on every ounce of good in an overall uneasy situation for fans. I don't see how it doesnt get old to these few always calling out the obvious negatives. We know, already. We know were in a rebuild, we know the team isn't great and has a ways to go, we know we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves prematurely about every player. Does that mean it needs to be pointed out at every turn? No. Just stfu and go s### in a little kid's ice cream cone already and get it out of your system. You'll be doing everyone here a favor.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Seriously, who doesn't like how Byron plays? The guy never stops skating hard. He goes to the dirty areas and initiates contact. He drives hard to the net. Plays a 200ft game too! He has so much heart, speed and skill. He is a tweener, and I have my doubts that he will ever be a full-time NHL'er, but if there is guy that deserves to be, it is Byron.

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

Seriously, who doesn't like how Byron plays? The guy never stops skating hard. He goes to the dirty areas and initiates contact. He drives hard to the net. Plays a 200ft game too! He has so much heart, speed and skill. He is a tweener, and I have my doubts that he will ever be a full-time NHL'er, but if there is guy that deserves to be, it is Byron.

And he has to earn every bit of ice time.

Stempniak in his last 16 games since he came back from injury:

2 goals 2 assists -13

In 7 of Stempniak's last 16 games he gets more than 20 minutes.


Byron 7 games 1 goal 4 assists +4 He has been involved in all 4 goals in the Flames last 2 game win streak. The most ice time he gets is the latest game with 14 minutes.


I agree that he likely will never be a full time NHLer.... but I believe he has earned the right to fail.


Would it hurt so much and have Byron and Stempniak change roles for the next 5 games.... Give Byron 18-20 minutes playing with Cammalleri and Stajan and put Stempniak back on the 4th line , killing some penalties and 2nd PP.

the role change might help both players and establishes the meritocracy as Byron has obviouly done 10 times as much to earn his ice time as Stempniak.

[Jakester]

Really impressed with his play in this latest call up. He's still a long shot to stick with team long term: sticking as a smaller player is hard enough and sticking as a smaller player in the bottom six is even tougher. That said, it has been done and I Byron proves me wrong.

For interests sake, here are some smaller players, who despite not being top scorers, managed to carve out nice careers for themselves:
Bob Bassen: http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=234
Rob DiMaio: http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/p...y.php?pid=1354
Scott Nichol: http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/p....php?pid=16388
Perhaps overly optimistically:
Mike Peca: http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/p...y.php?pid=4207

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

And he has to earn every bit of ice time.

Stempniak in his last 16 games since he came back from injury:

2 goals 2 assists -13

In 7 of Stempniak's last 16 games he gets more than 20 minutes.


Byron 7 games 1 goal 4 assists +4 He has been involved in all 4 goals in the Flames last 2 game win streak. The most ice time he gets is the latest game with 14 minutes.


I agree that he likely will never be a full time NHLer.... but I believe he has earned the right to fail.


Would it hurt so much and have Byron and Stempniak change roles for the next 5 games.... Give Byron 18-20 minutes playing with Cammalleri and Stajan and put Stempniak back on the 4th line , killing some penalties and 2nd PP.

the role change might help both players and establishes the meritocracy as Byron has obviouly done 10 times as much to earn his ice time as Stempniak.

While being true over the last handful of games, it isn't true when you increase the sample size.

Players go through slumps as normal ups and downs of their seasons. Why would the Flames never throw Iginla down on the 4th line in his tenure here? Well, what would that accomplish? Probably would just add to whatever slump that player was in. Stempniak is a guy this team has to count on for now. He plays a solid 200ft game. Yes, he isn't statistically playing great, but he isn't being a pylon, and his effort is there.

You can't just demote players down to the 4th line when they hit a slump. If they are not putting in the effort, that is when a player should go into a coach's doghouse. Or when the player is not doing what is being asked of him to do, then he goes into that proverbial doghouse where his icetime gets cut, he moves down the lines or becomes a scratch.

Byron has been doing well. Byron has always been like this since the Flames acquired him. The fans in Buffalo loved him. However, he is a tweener, and you don't replace Stempniak with a tweener.

Also, from an organizational standpoint, it would hurt. You will start impacting Stempniak's trade value negatively. Let him work out his game - it isn't for a lack of effort or selfishness. Just a bit of a slump (and even then, it isn't THAT bad - he is counted on to play a tough 200ft game against heavy competition). Stempniak is playing against some tough competition out there - Byron isn't (though I am comfortable in his speed and tenacity, as well as his ability to backcheck with lots of pressure that he won't fall on his face, but Stempniak is better at that game right now).

Byron will get more icetime as he continues to do well. When Stempniak (and other UFAs) get traded, that will continue to grow as long as he is continuing to do well. The only person blocking Byron is Byron. Nobody is going to block him from being a 1st line player because he is too small. If he continually shows himself to be deserving of more and more minutes, and an enlarged role on this team, he will eventually get it.

[AC]

Originally Posted by BACKCHECK!!!

Skating in between Bouma and McGrattan helps mitigate some of the size mismatch he faces by being literally the single smallest player in the entire league.

I was going to say that I think Gerbe is smaller still, being 2 inches shorter. But Gerbe is 25 pounds heavier somehow!

Though some sites have Byron at 5'10" and 175 lbs... which is hilariously wrong.

[REDVAN]

I think Byron will bean example of Burke's "you dont have to be big to play in the NHL" mantra. I can see Byron having a successful secondary/tertiary role in the NHL for years to come with his speed and puck hunger.

I'd say that obviously Sven needs to get to the compete level we've see from Byron the past few nights- with that effort from Sven he'd be a player too.

Great hustle by Paul Byron. Keep it up, you're a refreshing player to watch!

[FBI]

Byron = our next lundmark?

[BACKCHECK!!!]

Originally Posted by FBI

Byron = our next lundmark?

Byron = our next Fredrik Sjostrom.

[calumniate]

Originally Posted by MissTeeks

“@KristenOdlandCH: Flames head coach Bob Hartley on Paul Byron (1G, 1A and 14:20 of icetime) ... "He’s finding a way to spend Christmas in Calgary."”

Chocolate fumes for Byron? Bernard Callebaut maybe..

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

While being true over the last handful of games, it isn't true when you increase the sample size.

Players go through slumps as normal ups and downs of their seasons. Why would the Flames never throw Iginla down on the 4th line in his tenure here? Well, what would that accomplish? Probably would just add to whatever slump that player was in. Stempniak is a guy this team has to count on for now. He plays a solid 200ft game. Yes, he isn't statistically playing great, but he isn't being a pylon, and his effort is there.

You can't just demote players down to the 4th line when they hit a slump. If they are not putting in the effort, that is when a player should go into a coach's doghouse. Or when the player is not doing what is being asked of him to do, then he goes into that proverbial doghouse where his icetime gets cut, he moves down the lines or becomes a scratch.

Byron has been doing well. Byron has always been like this since the Flames acquired him. The fans in Buffalo loved him. However, he is a tweener, and you don't replace Stempniak with a tweener.

Also, from an organizational standpoint, it would hurt. You will start impacting Stempniak's trade value negatively. Let him work out his game - it isn't for a lack of effort or selfishness. Just a bit of a slump (and even then, it isn't THAT bad - he is counted on to play a tough 200ft game against heavy competition). Stempniak is playing against some tough competition out there - Byron isn't (though I am comfortable in his speed and tenacity, as well as his ability to backcheck with lots of pressure that he won't fall on his face, but Stempniak is better at that game right now).

Byron will get more icetime as he continues to do well. When Stempniak (and other UFAs) get traded, that will continue to grow as long as he is continuing to do well. The only person blocking Byron is Byron. Nobody is going to block him from being a 1st line player because he is too small. If he continually shows himself to be deserving of more and more minutes, and an enlarged role on this team, he will eventually get it.

16 games 2 goals 4 pts. -13 Stempniak will be un-tradeable if the trend continues.


Stempniak has not shown that he is able to handle the bigger role that he is being asked to play.

Cutting his minutes is more likely to get him to break out of his slump than continuing to play him.

Stempniak was comparable to Iginla for exactly the first 18 game he played in his Phoenix were he scored 14 goals and went a ppg. Other than that brief flash there is absolutely no comparison between Stempniak and Iginla.

[Goodlad]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

16 games 2 goals 4 pts. -13 Stempniak will be un-tradeable if the trend continues.


Stempniak has not shown that he is able to handle the bigger role that he is being asked to play.

Cutting his minutes is more likely to get him to break out of his slump than continuing to play him.

Stempniak was comparable to Iginla for exactly the first 18 game he played in his Phoenix were he scored 14 goals and went a ppg. Other than that brief flash there is absolutely no comparison between Stempniak and Iginla.

This thread is not about Stempniak!