The Montreal Canadiens announced on Wednesday that winger Paul Byron has undergone right shoulder surgery. The surgery was performed in New York City on Tuesday by Dr. William Levine. Byron is expected to need about six months to recover. This would put him out for a short stint at the start of the regular season in 2018-19.

Paul Byron underwent shoulder surgery today in New York. His recovery period is expected to be six months.

DETAILS ➡ https://t.co/Hz1xLCmM0P.

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 18, 2018

Paul Byron Undergoes Shoulder Surgery, May Miss Start of 2018-19 Season

Byron was apparently suffering from the injury during the last few weeks of the regular season. However, the injury didn’t stop the former waiver-wire pickup from recording his second straight 20-goal season. Byron has one year remaining on a three-year contract he signed in 2016. It carries a cap hit of $1.167 million per season.

This season, Byron scored 20 goals and 15 assists for 35 points in 82 games. He also added 23 minutes in penalties. His possession numbers were 50.7 percent Corsi and a relative Corsi of +0.4.

Over his eight-year NHL career, Byron has played for the Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, and the Habs. He has put up 70 goals and 74 assists for 144 career points in 363 career games. Byron has also added a goal in six career playoff games. He was originally drafted in the sixth-round, 179th overall of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft by the Sabres.

Byron is a key piece of the Habs. He is versatile enough to play all three forward positions, though he does his best work on the wing. He also is used on both the penalty kill and power play units. Byron is capable of moving up and down the lineup with ease, as his game translates in both offensive and defensive roles. The Canadiens will hope that his recovery goes quicker than expected and that he is ready in October.

Main Photo

MONTREAL, QC – MARCH 02: Paul Byron #41 of the Montreal Canadiens skates the puck past Matt Irwin #52 of the Nashville Predators and ended up scoring the game-winning goal on goaltender Pekka Rinne #35 of the Nashville Predators late in the third period during the NHL match at the Bell Centre on March 2, 2017, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Nashville Predators 2-1. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)