Montreal Canadiens head coach Claude Julien gave the media an update on the status of winger Paul Byron on Monday. Julien stated that Byron suffered an arm injury, not a shoulder injury, and is undergoing further tests in order to determine the exact nature of the injury and a timeframe for his return.

#Habs Julien says Byron didn’t suffer a shoulder injury. It’s an arm injury but he will be further tested to diagnose the nature.

Shaw has not been cleared to play yet.

— John Lu (@JohnLuTSNMtl) February 4, 2019

Paul Byron Injured

Byron was injured during the second period of Sunday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers. Byron was checked into the boards and seemed to have bent his arm/wrist the wrong way. He immediately went straight to the locker room. Byron had an assist before leaving the game.

So far this season, Byron has scored 10 goals and nine assists for 19 points in 36 games, while also adding six minutes in penalties. His possession numbers are 52.8 percent Corsi-For and a relative Corsi of -2.3.

Over his eight-year NHL career, Byron has played for the Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, and Montreal Canadiens. He has 80 goals and 83 assists for 163 career points in 399 career games. He was originally drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the sixth round, 179th overall in the 2007 NHL draft.

What This Means for the Future

This would be a huge loss for Montreal as Byron has been a key part of their team all season. Bryon has the ability to break out and create odd-man situations and has been a vital part of the penalty kill all year. The speedy forward has played alongside Max Domi and Tomas Tatar in recent games. Byron was in his second game back after missing the last three games before the all-star break due to a suspension. With the Habs being in the playoff push, the absence of Byron will be a major loss for the team moving forward.

With Byron out of the lineup the Habs, Kenny Agostino will look to draw back into the lineup. Julien indicated that while forward Andrew Shaw is progressing from his neck injury and has been cleared to practice with contact, he is not yet cleared to play games. When Shaw is ready to go, expect him to immediately slot into the lineup, perhaps even on the Domi line.

Main Photo: MONTREAL, QC – DECEMBER 12: Paul Byron #41 of the Montreal Canadiens celebrates his goal with teammates on the bench during the NHL game against the Boston Bruins at the Bell Centre on December 12, 2016 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Boston Bruins defeated the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 in overtime. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)