Report: Montreal Canadiens veteran to retire shortly
When Marc Bergevin acquired Paul Byron for the Habs in the 2015-16 campaign, it was truly a gift. The forward scored 22, 20, and 15 goals throughout the course of the following three seasons in addition to being a very versatile player, which was certainly above average in his situation.
His contributions earned him a contract that will expire at the end of the season and is worth 3.4 million dollars annually. He might not hit the ice for a while, which is unfortunate for him.
According to Marc-Antoine Godin of The Athletic, the hip injury Byron has been battling for a long time is not going to let up and his presence on the long-term injury list is becoming more and more likely.
For the Habs, it's not the end of the world, even though placing Byron's name on the long-term injury list would free them up by $3.4 million on the payroll. Also, the team should not be in a position to make the playoffs this year, barring a surprise. However, given that the speedy skater is in the last year of his contract and will be 34 years old at the end of it, his future in the NHL is in doubt.
