Paul Byron was a real gift for the Habs when Marc Bergevin claimed him in the 2015-16 season. The next three years, the small forward collected in order 22, 20 and 15 goals in addition to being a very versatile player, which was clearly above expectations in his case. His performances earned him a contract worth 3.4 million dollars per year that will expire at the end of the season. Unfortunately for him, he may not hit the ice for a long time. 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. <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/MAGodin/status/1577839427656851456?t=hivoMEvFyDKw73Li7THY5g&s=19'> </a></blockquote></div> 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.