It appears we might finally have some clarity regarding the Dustin Byfuglien’s contract dilemma.
On Tuesday, TSN’s Frank Seravalli tweeted he’s been hearing the Jets have been working with the 34-year-old toward a mutual contract termination. Byfuglien has not played in a game this season and has been serving a suspension since refusing to report to camp in September. The move will officially clear Byfuglien’s cap-hit, a move that could have helped the Jets if it were made earlier in the season. Patrik Laine shared his thoughts on the situation and didn’t hold back.
The following is an excerpt from the Winnipeg Sun:
“He makes a lot of money, and boy, if he doesn’t want to play we probably could have used it for something else,” Laine said. “But that’s just the way it goes sometimes. That’s the situation we’ve got to deal with. And we’ve done well so far. But yeah, that can’t be an excuse for us.”
“If a guy hasn’t probably skated or worked out for half a year – I wouldn’t be able to come play in the middle of the season when everybody’s at their best,” Laine said.
Well, he’s definitely not wrong. Winnipeg lost a total of four starting defenceman from the 2018-19 season, most notably trading 2012 first round pick Jacob Trouba to the New York Rangers in exchange for Neal Pionk and a first-round draft pick (which was used to select Ville Heinola). The Jets will now have an additional $7.6 million at their disposal ahead of February 24th ‘s trade deadline.
Byfuglien will become an unrestricted free agent if the termination goes through. Through 528 games with the Jets, Big Buff accumulated 363 points and helped lead the team to the Western Conference Championship in 2018. Winnipeg is currently tied for 20th in the league in goals against with 165.
It will be interesting to see what Winnipeg elects to do with their extra cash and knowing they’ll be without their long-time bulldozer for the foreseeable future.
(H/T Paul Friesen)
