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Dustin Byfuglien

Dustin Byfuglien Unlikely To Play Again

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After his contract was terminated by the Jets back in April, Dustin Byfuglien became an unrestricted free agent.  While playing again this season was out of the question, he immediately became one of the more intriguing defensemen available on the open market for 2020-21.  However, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported in the latest Saturday Headlines segment (video link) that the 35-year-old is unlikely to play again.

Byfuglien’s case was certainly an odd one.  After reporting in advance of training camp, he abruptly left before it got underway, citing a lack of desire to play which resulted in him being suspended without pay for not reporting.  However, it was later determined that he needed ankle surgery which was performed in October.  The Jets argued that it was not hockey related while his camp felt it was related to his time in Winnipeg and thus he shouldn’t have been suspended and instead placed on LTIR where he could still collect his salary.

In the end, Winnipeg’s argument won out.  As part of the contract termination, it was agreed that Byfuglien wouldn’t receive any of the $14MM in salary that he would have been owed for this past season and next.

Ben Hankinson, Byfuglien’s agent, told Friedman that teams have inquired about a contract for next season including Minnesota, his hometown team.  But the answer has been the same throughout all of those conversations in that the veteran doesn’t appear to have any interest in resuming his career, even with his ankle having recovered from the surgery.

If it is indeed the end of the line for Byfuglien, his playing days wrap up with 869 career games played over 14 seasons with the Blackhawks, Thrashers, and Jets.  In his prime, he was a significant offensive threat with a booming shot, scoring at least a dozen goals in nine years while even spending some time briefly on the right wing.  While his career is certainly ending somewhat quietly off the ice, the uniqueness in how things got to this point will be remembered for quite some time.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Winnipeg Jets, Dustin Byfuglien Terminate Contract

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The Winnipeg Jets and Dustin Byfuglien have finally officially parted ways, with the league announcing that his contract has been terminated. The two sides have “mutually resolved” the grievance filed by Byfuglien that followed his team suspension earlier this year. Effective immediately, Byfuglien is now an unrestricted free agent.

Frank Seravalli of TSN reports that Byfuglien will not receive any of the $14MM he was owed for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, while Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic notes that he will not be allowed to sign with a team should this season resume. Though it is hard to know exactly what the future holds for Byfuglien, John Shannon tweets that several of his sources are suggesting that the veteran defenseman’s career is over and that he “has no interest in playing.” His entire $7.6MM cap hit will be removed for the Jets.

Notably, Byfuglien decided—without consulting the Jets organization—to get ankle surgery in late October. That injury was the basis of his grievance, as his camp argued that it was hockey related and would have allowed him to be placed on long-term injured reserve. In that case he would have still been able to collect his remaining salary, though that outcome is obviously off the table now.

It’s hard to really encapsulate what kind of impact Byfuglien had on the ice when healthy. As the game continued to move towards smaller skilled players, the Jets defenseman was a throwback to a much more physical brand of hockey. Basically always the biggest and strongest player on the ice, fans will remember countless times “Big Buff” would throw around smaller opponents with ease.

But his physical prowess wasn’t the whole story with Byfuglien. An eighth-round pick by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2003, he played both defense and forward with that organization and won the Stanley Cup in 2010. A talented offensive player, he recorded at least 45 points in seven different seasons and currently has 525 points in 869 career games.

Now 35, you can bet Byfuglien’s name will still come up in the future as a potential addition for a contender looking to shore up their defensive group. Whether he ever plays again is up to him, but it won’t be in Winnipeg.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Byfuglien Saga Reaching Conclusion

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In times like these it is easy to forget about those NHL transactional situations that were ongoing when the league decided to pause their season, but even though no games are being played there is work being done to conclude them. One such situation revolved around the Winnipeg Jets and Dustin Byfuglien, which included all the markings of a good drama—a lack of communication, heaps of frustration and the withholding of large sums of money.

Byfuglien, 35, seemed like he was leaning towards retirement at one point last offseason, but when he didn’t go that route and instead simply failed to report to Jets’ training camp he was eventually suspended by the team without pay. The veteran defenseman opted for ankle surgery in October without the team’s involvement, only complicating things.

For months now there has been reporting suggesting that the two sides were getting closer to a settlement on the dispute over his remaining salary, but nothing has been officially announced from either side. Last night on TSN’s Insider Trading, Darren Dreger explained that it all may be coming to a head soon:

It is nearing an end, but obviously given current events it’s not top priority for all involved. What I know is that the National Hockey League is scheduled to discuss the situation with the Winnipeg Jets in the very near future. Now, the Players’ Association, the league, the player and the Winnipeg Jets are all aligned in the termination agreement, but it hasn’t been executed yet and because of that the Winnipeg Jets aren’t in a position to announce. The detail work between the league and Winnipeg Jets is expected to ironed out in the near future.

While it’s unclear what kind of an agreement will be executed in terms of payment, it will mark the end of Byfuglien’s tenure in Winnipeg. Whether he plays NHL hockey again in the future will be up to him, but you can bet that there will at least be some lukewarm interest should he hit unrestricted free agency. To be clear, Byfuglien would not be eligible for the 2019-20 playoffs with a new team regardless of when they happen.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Jets Trying To Trade Dustin Byfuglien

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Early this month, it appeared as if the Jets and defenseman Dustin Byfuglien were on their way to a mutual contract termination as a resolution to his current grievance for the team suspending him without pay for leaving training camp early on and ultimately undergoing ankle surgery back in late October.  However, that has yet to materialize and now we know why as TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that Winnipeg is currently attempting to trade him.

It’s yet another odd development in what has been a very strange situation.  At one point, it was believed that Byfuglien was contemplating retirement and at the beginning of February, it was reported that it’s unlikely that he will play this season.  He has yet to resume skating which means the last time he skated was at or slightly before the beginning of training camp.  On the surface, it is difficult to see why a team would want to take a chance on him.

It’s worth noting that a team that’s interested in him for this season can’t wait until he’s bought out after the trade deadline to bring him in for the stretch run and postseason.  For a player to be eligible to play in the playoffs, he has to be on the Reserve List by the time the deadline passes so if someone wants to take a shot at him this season, they will have to trade for him by Monday.

There would certainly be some risk associated with making such a trade.  While it’s true that if Byfuglien didn’t report, he’d remain suspended without pay and the acquiring team could pursue a contract termination this summer.  However, as the 34-year-old has another year left on his deal at $7.6MM, any team interested in him would need to have the pro-rated cap space to take him on this year (if he eventually reported) as well as be able to afford him next season.  Considering how long it has been since he last played, that would be a bit of a gamble.

Having said that, it’s one that could certainly pan out as Byfuglien was a high-impact player as recently as last year.  His physicality could come in handy in the postseason and he has been a strong offensive performer in the past as well.  There would certainly be some upside to the move if a team is willing to take the chance by adding him which Winnipeg GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is now assessing.  If nothing happens by Monday, then the Jets will likely proceed with the contract termination soon after.

Winnipeg Jets, Dustin Byfuglien Expected To Reach Mutual Contract Termination

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The Winnipeg Jets are finally going to have some closure on the Dustin Byfuglien situation. The veteran defenseman’s injury and subsequent suspension have been a dark cloud hovering over the team all season, but according to Frank Seravalli of TSN they will soon reach a mutual contract termination. That would make Byfuglien an unrestricted free agent, and free up the Jets to make a deadline addition with the cap space that they had been holding open for his potential return.

Byfuglien, 34, decided not to report to training camp with the Jets at the last minute after an ankle injury did not respond well over the summer. That led to surgery to fix the issue and a suspension from the team, before Byfuglien ended up filing a grievance for his lost pay. The veteran defenseman was set to argue that it was a legitimate hockey injury, one that would normally not stop the team from paying him the $8MM salary he was owed this season in the second last year of his contract.

That contract, which extends through the 2020-21 season meant Byfuglien was owed $14MM for this year and next. Retirement would have meant the Jets could use that cap space for a different player, but also would mean the veteran defenseman was voluntarily walking away from the money. It’s unclear what kind of arrangement will be made with this termination, or when exactly it will be executed.

For the Jets, while obviously they would have wanted the big defenseman in the lineup all year, they’ll now be able to find a different way to shore up the back end. Quickly the team now becomes one of those with plenty of cap space to use at the deadline, though it’s still unclear what path they will go down. At 26-23-4 the playoffs aren’t even a sure thing for Winnipeg, making any big additions risky.

A termination would make Byfuglien an unrestricted free agent and able to sign with any team, however he has not yet started skating in his rehab from ankle surgery. In order to be eligible for the playoffs, he would need to sign with a team before the February 24th trade deadline.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Winnipeg’s Dustin Byfuglien “Most Likely” To Miss Season

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In one of the most confusing and mysterious storylines of the season, some light might have been shed on the status of Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Byfuglien has yet to resume skating with the “most likely” outcome being that he won’t play at all this season, which will force the Jets to revisit his future with the franchise this summer.

Byfuglien has not played all season and has been suspended without pay for the 2019-20 season. He indicated just as preseason began that he was taking a leave of absence due to undisclosed personal reasons. Then in late October, Byfuglien had ankle surgery, to the surprise of many, which explains why he hasn’t skated yet. On top of that, with the help of the NHLPA, Byfuglien filed a grievance against the Jets in November, which has not happened yet and remains up in the air.

The news has other positive implications for general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff and the Jets. Assuming Friedman’s report is accurate and Byfuglien is deemed out for the season, then the Jets would have plenty of money at the trade deadline to add some of that necessary depth that the team has been lacking this season. While Byfuglien’s cap hit of $7.6MM is not affecting the team’s salary cap status at the moment, the team has been saving their cap space on the chance that Byfuglien would be ready and willing to return to their lineup. With the trade deadline just over three weeks away, however, Winnipeg needs to have some closure on Byfuglien’s status before it can make any deadline moves. The Jets could have as much as $21.935MM in deadline cap space due to the number of injuries on the team, although several of those players are likely to return before the season ends.

Of course, Winnipeg currently sits four points out of playoff spot, which means the next three weeks will also play a big role on whether the team should consider buying, standing still or potentially selling.

Trade Rumors: Jets, Dillon, Pageau

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As Tessa Bonhomme pointed out on Tuesday night’s “Insider Trading” segment on TSN, the Winnipeg Jets are in the unenviable position of needing help at center and on defense, often hard positions to replace in-season. Injuries down the middle have caused center to become an issue for the Jets, but few will be surprised to hear that Darren Dreger says that addressing the blue line remains Winnipeg’s priority ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline. Defense was an obvious weak point for Winnipeg from day one of the 2019-20 season, following the departures of Jacob Trouba, Tyler Myers, and Ben Chiarot this off-season and the unexpected absence of Dustin Byfuglien as well. While Josh Morrissey and Neal Pionk have played well this season, the rest of the D corps remains underwhelming and ill-equipped to handle the pressures of the postseason. Dreger confirms that the Jets are specifically looking for a top-four defenseman, as they need more than just depth additions to fix the blue line. He says that the team will consider both rentals and term players when evaluating trade options but will have to keep in mind the team’s salary cap situation, both this year and moving forward.

  • One player being targeted by the Jets as a possible stopgap to their defensive woes is San Jose Sharks rearguard Brenden Dillon, according to Pierre LeBrun. Dillon has been one of the most talked about trade candidates in recent weeks, as the Sharks are eager to sell, but short on impending free agents, making the big defenseman a near certainty to move. LeBrun believes that at least six NHL teams are firmly in on Dillon, which is a number likely to increase as the trade deadline grows closer. LeBrun speculates that the asking price for Dillon, who is strictly a stay-at-home, shutdown defender, could rise to a second-round pick and prospect. Other than Winnipeg, two other teams that LeBrun named as suitors are the Boston Bruins, who are looking to add physicality and grit to their lineup, and the Carolina Hurricanes, who lost Dougie Hamilton to injury but have the cap space to replace him regardless of their blue line depth.
  • Another player sure to have a number of suitors is Ottawa Senators center Jean-Gabriel Pageau. The Senators will try to re-sign him, but Pageau is enjoying a breakout year and the market for centremen is very thin. LeBrun states that Pageau is the top pivot available and Ottawa could command a first-round pick. Whether they opt to re-sign him or not could depend on how far the bidding war reaches for his services. LeBrun does note that a number of teams with obvious needs down the middle are also not locks for the postseason, which could influence Pageau’s price and possibly convince the Senators to pull him off the market. The teams specifically named by LeBrun include the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders, and Philadelphia Flyers. Of course, the Jets could also be contenders if they decide to load up.

Injury Notes: Kulikov, Keith, Granlund

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As if the Winnipeg Jets needed any more concerns on the blue line, yet the team’s short-handed defense corps was dealt another blow on Tuesday. Head coach Paul Maurice announced that Dmitry Kulikov has suffered an upper-body injury that is expected to leave him sidelined for upwards of two months. Maurice expects the veteran defender to return after the All-Star break in late January. Kulikov suffered the injury, speculated to be related to his left arm, on Friday night and did not play Saturday. However, there was hope that he would return to the lineup shortly, but that will not be the case. Kulikov, 29, had been enjoying a bit of a career resurgence early this year after dealing with injuries in each of this past three seasons. The former Panthers standout is third among Jets starting defensemen in time on ice and first in Corsi For, while leading the entire team in blocked shots. Personally, Kulikov was also on pace for the highest point total of his stint in Winnipeg. However, it now appears that it could be more of the same for the physical, but fragile rearguard. With Nathan Beaulieu already injured and the team still coping with the absences of Dustin Byfuglien, Jacob Trouba, Tyler Myers, and Ben Chiarot, Kulikov’s loss is a major blow for the Jets. Winnipeg has held their own to this point in the season, but one has to wonder when their luck will run out considering their depleted blue line.

  • The Chicago Blackhawks are another team dealing with a slew of injuries. So much so in fact that they were forced to ice only eleven forwards and six defensemen on Monday night after a roster full of short-term injuries and a sick goalie necessitated the call-up of AHL keeper Kevin Lankinen without enough room to make any other additions. While Robin Lehner is back on his feet, one of those other injured players is going to be out for a while longer. Blackhawks beat writer Carter Baum reports that top pair defenseman Duncan Keith is expected to miss at least another two games with a lingering groin injury. Keith will not travel with the team on their two-game road trip, extending what has already been a two-game absence. Groin injuries tend to stick around, so Keith could remain sidelined beyond the next two games and could also deal with the issue throughout the season. It’s a difficult situation for Chicago, who desperately needs their ice time leader and defensive mainstay to be active as much as possible if they wish to push for a playoff spot this season.
  • Kyle Turris is back in the lineup for the Nashville Predators, but not because head coach Peter Laviolette has changed his mind about the under-performing veteran. Instead, Turris has drawn in to replace Mikael Granlund. The Predators announced just prior to their game on Tuesday night that Granlund would not be in the lineup and is considered day-to-day with an undisclosed lower-body injury. Not much is known about Granlund’s status as of yet, but an extended absence could very well cost him his spot as a top-six forward for the team. Granlund has just 11 points in 26 games, only two more points than Turris has in 19 games. Granlund has been a disappointment since coming over from Minnesota last season, but even if Nashville has no intention of re-signing him, the impending free agent has ample incentive to get healthy and try to find his way back to an elite level of play.

 

NHLPA Files Grievance On Behalf Of Dustin Byfuglien

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A strange story that had grown cold over the past month is back in the spotlight once again with a new twist. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the National Hockey League Players’ Association has filed a grievance with the league challenging the suspension of Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien. The case will now go before an independent arbitrator, unless of course the two sides can come to an agreement beforehand.

Byfuglien, 34, has not played for the Jets this season and has been suspended without pay entirely thus far in 2019-20. This all began back in September, when Winnipeg announced that the veteran defender would be taking a leave of absence for undisclosed personal reasons. He reportedly was taking time to consider his playing future, despite having two years and $14MM in salary remaining on his contract. Many speculated that his absence could have less to do with wear and tear and more to do with personal issues. When training camp arrived and Byfuglien had still not reported, the Jets, in need of salary cap space, suspended him without pay indefinitely until the point that he either returned to action or formally retired.

At the time, there was no indication that Byfuglien’s leave or his sudden concern for his future were related to injury. However, the Jets may have been holding back information on his unexpected absence. Byfuglien underwent surprise ankle surgery in late October, after which the team announced that they were “aware” that he was considering the surgical option for a previously undisclosed injury. The team did add that they were not involved in the decision-making process and that Byfuglien went under the knife without any recommendation from the team’s medical staff.

Herein lies the upcoming battle between the NHL, defending the Jets, and the NHLPA, arguing for Byfuglien. The players’ association will argue that, had Byfuglien reported to camp with his injury and the team had agreed that it was a hockey-related injurythat requiredsurgery, he would be collecting his salary for this season. If his sudden consideration of retirement was fueled by injury concerns, but he chooses to work his way back into game shape and re-join the Jets, should he not have been compensated for that time? The NHLPA may also flirt with the possible punitive nature of this suspension. Byfuglien’s absence came as a shock to Winnipeg, who this summer allowed Tyler Myers and Ben Chiarot to walk as free agents and traded away Jacob Trouba, all under the impression that Byfuglien would be around for at least two more years. The team could not have been happy with his leave of absence and reportedly had been trying to convince him not to retire and return to play. However, if his injury also came as a surprise to the team, they may not have been willing to recommend surgery and end up just as short-handed on the blue line, but also paying Byfuglien’s salary. The NHL may feel that the Jets are punishing Byfuglien for blindsiding them, while still hoping that he will return. With that said, the league’s counter will simply be that Byfuglien did not abide by the terms of his contract. If he had concerns over an injury and his longevity in the game, he should have reported to camp and discussed those issues with the team. Winnipeg could also take issue with when and how the injury occurred and whether it was related to any previous injury issues. By taking a leave of absence and then undergoing unapproved surgery, the NHL will argue that Byfuglien cannot just retroactively say that his motivations are to play for the Jets again and he is thus deserving of his salary while he has kept the team in the dark on a number of matters this whole time.

Surely there is more to this story than has been revealed to the public and perhaps more will come out now that a grievance has been filed. There is no timeline as of yet for a potential arbitration hearing, though one would think it would have to come before Byfuglien has fully recovered from his ankle surgery and has the option to return to action with the Jets. In many cases, the NHLPA files a grievance on behalf of a player against his former team, making this an unusual case as Byfuglien remains Winnipeg property until he formally retires. Recent grievances related to issues with former Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Jake Dotchin and Los Angeles Kings forward Mike Richards were settled long after the initial dispute occurred. That may be different in this scenario. Stay tuned.

Snapshots: Trade Bait, Byfuglien, Landeskog

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Frank Seravalli of TSN has released his first Trade Bait board of the season, and at the top is Chris Kreider of the New York Rangers. Both Seravalli and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet have now suggested that Kreider could be a worthwhile option for the St. Louis Blues while they deal with the absence of Vladimir Tarasenko, though neither scribe does anything more than speculate on the situation.

More interesting perhaps is Travis Hamonic’s appearance relatively high on the board, after recent news came out that he would not negotiate an extension in-season with the Calgary Flames. Hamonic has all the makings of a top trade deadline acquisition—a 29-year old right-handed defenseman with an expiring contract that carries a reasonable $3.86MM cap hit—but he’s also still an important part of a Flames team that had big expectations this season. It’s still early, but as the calendar turns to November trade speculation is about to heat up.

  • Dustin Byfuglien’s representatives are in discussions with the NHLPA about his injury situation according to Darren Dreger of TSN, who suggests things “could get complicated” if it is determined that the ankle injury that recently needed surgery did occur playing hockey. Things are already complicated when it comes to Byfuglien, whose status as suspended by the team has not changed according to Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff, who declined to provide much of an update today.
  • While the Colorado Avalanche have still not confirmed what Gabriel Landeskog’s injury is aside from it being “lower-body,” A.J. Haefele of BSN Denver saw the forward in a walking boot last night and had heard rumors of a broken foot. The team listed Landeskog as out indefinitely, but head coach Jared Bednar had explained his captain will miss significant time.

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