How long is the leash on Byron?

[genetic_phreek]

Originally Posted by flambers

Byron has to generate offense to be effective, when I saw who was on the break away.

My first thought, dang he won't score.

Its time for Byron to sit for a game in the press box.

I don't get this post. I think the idea to sit in the press box is to see the game from a different perspective and think about your own game. Byron has good positional play, defensively responsible albeit being on the ice the same time as Bollig. Sure he could reflect on making a different deke but how is sitting in the press box going to help him score on breakaways more than trying more moves in practice?

[saillias]

Originally Posted by OzSome

Oh yeah Byron is probably 3 times cheaper than Mason.

Well, just to be a smartass, he's exactly 5.25 times cheaper

[ForeverFlameFan]

Another thing worth mentioning is I think we should have a 3rd line of Baertschi - Jooris - Byron. They all complimented each other so well last time they were together.

[genetic_phreek]

Originally Posted by OzSome

I knew when Byron did not score on that breakaway, CP will explode. Yes I understand the frustration on not capitalizing the chances but I just don't understand the hate. The guy is playing on the 4th line and still getting chances and working his butt off. Unlike the others who were signed to score goals but just wasting spot like Mason Raymond. That is the guy that frustrates me. I would rather see someone getting a breakaway a lot even though not capitalizing on it than someone who is just killing the offensive possession all the time. Oh yeah Byron is probably 3 times cheaper than Mason.

Agree with this post. Byron is also 5 times cheaper:

Mason Raymond - $3.15 million
Paul Byron - $600k

saillias beat me to it

[killer_carlson]

Originally Posted by OzSome

I knew when Byron did not score on that breakaway, CP will explode. Yes I understand the frustration on not capitalizing the chances but I just don't understand the hate. The guy is playing on the 4th line and still getting chances and working his butt off. Unlike the others who were signed to score goals but just wasting spot like Mason Raymond. That is the guy that frustrates me. I would rather see someone getting a breakaway a lot even though not capitalizing on it than someone who is just killing the offensive possession all the time. Oh yeah Byron is probably 3 times cheaper than Mason.

I think you're caught in the error of thinking critique = hate. It doesn't.

Byron is not playing on the 4th line. He's getting 14 minutes of ice per night. The 4th line gets around 8, with Stajan clocking in at 11.

Quite frankly i'd have no problem if they did drop him back to the 4th line for a while. I think we've seen the soft glove approach with him for much longer than it ought to have been and he needs a kick in the butt to remember to put the puck in the net.

As an aside, i don't recall hearing about Byron taking extra time before or after practice to work on his shooting. i'd suggest he should.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

Another thing worth mentioning is I think we should have a 3rd line of Baertschi - Jooris - Byron. They all complimented each other so well last time they were together.

The second or third last time. They had a good game (2 assists for Sven, including the oft mentioned Byron breakaway) and then Hartley tried it again the next game or so, without the same results.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

The second or third last time. They had a good game (2 assists for Sven, including the oft mentioned Byron breakaway) and then Hartley tried it again the next game or so, without the same results.

Even if it wasn't working for the last couple of games, it wouldn't hurt to put them out on the same line for a few shifts to see if they can get it going again.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

Even if it wasn't working for the last couple of games, it wouldn't hurt to put them out on the same line for a few shifts to see if they can get it going again.

True.

Someone mentioned Glencross coming back in another thread. If so, I believe Sven goes down, because Wolf is a better insert on the bottom line and because he was the hotter guy recently.

The one sitting will not be Byron though.

[Cflames_12.5]

After Byron missed the breakaway I was thinking damn this kid sucks and how we should get rid of him. Then on the same shift he back checked and stole the puck back and made a great play to great the puck back in the offensive zone. Byron isn't paid to score tons of goals. For what he's paid he does a fantastic job.

[hummdeedoo]

Byron has a Shean Donovan season (2003-2004) in him I know it.

[Lanny_McDonald]

I don't think Byron is on a short leash at all. He is a player the Flames could improve upon, but as far as a hit list goes, Byron isn't at the top of that either. Frankly, I'd rather see Bollig, Engelland, Raymond, and Diaz go, in that order, before Byron. Byron falls into a group with Stajan and Glencross as guys I wouldn't mind seeing replaced, but only if you can improve the team by getting rid of them. The other four are complete disasters and just need to go. Sadly, they were all Treliving signings, so it is unlikely we are to see any of that dead weight shipped out of town any time soon.

I think the bigger problem with the lineup right now is the lack of cohesiveness in the lines. Hartley has done a really poor job of putting a lineup together. He's got a guy on each line that absolutely hills the play every time he touches the puck. I would put all of those eggs in one basket and play them together, keeping the other lines as tangible threats. I'd like to see Baertschi, Wolf and Wotherspoon injected into the lineup against the Oilers, just to see what the improved skill and enthusiasm would do to the lineup.

Gaudreau-Jooris-Hudler
Baertschi-Monahan-Colborne
Backlund-Stajan-Jones
Wolf-Bouma-Byron

Giordano-Brodie
Wideman-Russell
Wotherspoon-Engelland/Diaz

And then watch that roll over the Oilers!

[Bandwagon In Flames]

This is just a hunch, but I think Byron may have an upper body injury. He hasn't missed a beat speed wise the past 30 games, but everything else has dropped off. I don't see him playing that feisty physical style that gave him success. I haven't seen him pull off a hard wrister in quite a while. Every breakaway he goes for the deke (usually 5-hole).

He still adds value to the team in a depth role, as his puck possession is right up there with Backlund. It's definitely still frustrating seeing him miss on his last 25+ breakaways.

[Burner]

from my recollection he often goes for the 5 hole and gets stopped. Would like to see him go up. He seems to be going so fast from getting tne greakaway he doesnt realize how much time he has and rushes his attempt.

[flambers]

Originally Posted by genetic_phreek

I don't get this post. I think the idea to sit in the press box is to see the game from a different perspective and think about your own game. Byron has good positional play, defensively responsible albeit being on the ice the same time as Bollig. Sure he could reflect on making a different deke but how is sitting in the press box going to help him score on breakaways more than trying more moves in practice?

My problem, I don't really believe Bryon is a 4th line player. He needs to be a 3rd liner who can generate offense at times.

For this guy to stick around in the NHL 4 or 5 goals a season will not work imo.

Having a 29 game scoreless streak is a problem.

[hummdeedoo]

Originally Posted by Burner

from my recollection he often goes for the 5 hole and gets stopped. Would like to see him go up. He seems to be going so fast from getting tne greakaway he doesnt realize how much time he has and rushes his attempt.

Agree - seems the best finishers show can slow things down a half beat before pulling the trigger.

[vicarious]

Paul Byron = Matthew Lombardi 2.0

All that speed but no finish

[Stay Golden]

Yes it is an issue Byron doesn't put the puck in the net.
But he creates most of his solo chances with his speed and vision. That shouldn't be overlooked when evaluating Byron.
Beyond that he executes so many team details very well.
His created turnover ratio is remarkable and before the finger pointing moves to Byron it should be directed at Raymond, Bollig and Stajan who Byron out shines every game.
If you wanted to bring salary cap hits into the equation Byron is by far the better bang for your buck then those 3 who are only making what they are based on past NHL seasons. Raymond and Stajan way over paid vs their 2014/15 season results.

[Finger Cookin]

It would be akin to the second coming if Byron ever approaches the career or season high totals of Lombardi. He is at best Lombardi 0.33

All I would like to see with Byron is for him to sit a game or two to see if it kickstarts his game. We've had many more forwards and defensemen, some of whom are much more established NHL players, scratched this season to mostly positive results when they return. Byron shouldn't be immune from this approach.

[RyZ]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Sven has 5 AHL goals this year

Byron has 5 NHL goals

Sven is supposed to be the offensive talent right?

A quick look in the games played column makes this look like a silly comparison.

But if you want to go that way.

Byron - 43 points in 130 NHL games played
Baertschi - 27 points in 63 NHL games played

Byron is supposed to be the NHL player, right?

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Stay Golden

Yes it is an issue Byron doesn't put the puck in the net.
But he creates most of his solo chances with his speed and vision. That shouldn't be overlooked when evaluating Byron.
Beyond that he executes so many team details very well.
His created turnover ratio is remarkable and before the finger pointing moves to Byron it should be directed at Raymond, Bollig and Stajan who Byron out shines every game.
If you wanted to bring salary cap hits into the equation Byron is by far the better bang for your buck then those 3 who are only making what they are based on past NHL seasons. Raymond and Stajan way over paid vs their 2014/15 season results.

I agree that Byron shouldn't be dismissed because the finish isn't there. And that he is good bang for the buck. I agree that Raymond and maybe even Stajan are overpaid on their present points (though Stajan has a ton of intangibles, and everyone he's played with since he came back looks a bit better).

But each of them as UFAs, based on their stats when signed, are right around market value. We know this about Raymond because he was sought after and the Flames paid what the market was demanding. And if you look at what experienced UFA centres who are about .5 PPG, play anywhere from 2-4 in the lineup and kill penalties make, Stajan was market rate as well. If he was above it, it was not wildly so. Anyway, who cares what they make - it's where they belong in the lineup that's the question. Stajan belongs and none of Sven/Wolf/Byron can replace him at centre so it's not even an issue. If Granlund or Shore were challenging him, then maybe its an issue.

Raymond backslid a bit last game from his previous one which was the best in quite a while. But it wasn't the horrible game lots of posters are describing. I agree with some posters who say he is taking baby steps to turning the corner and putting up some points - he set up Colborne a couple times and had a few near misses himself. It's now one of those "he's getting the chances" kind of slumps, instead of "he doesn't get a sniff" types. So for Hartley it's a question of whether he's playing his way out of a slump and sitting him disrupts that, or if he's not making progress and needs to sit. And if Sven or Wolf are showing in practice that they are ready. What many people forget is that Hartley is greatly influenced by what he sees in practice (I'm betting Byron is a demon in practice).