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Dustin Byfuglien

Dustin Byfuglien Undergoes Ankle Surgery

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The Dustin Byfuglien situation just got even murkier for the Winnipeg Jets, as Bob McKenzie of TSN reported tonight that the veteran defenseman underwent ankle surgery recently. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet adds that Byfuglien faces a recovery that will take him to the New Year, but with the uncertainty around whether he even wants to play in the NHL anymore this really clarifies nothing. Even stranger, the Jets issued a statement explaining that they were not the ones who decided on the surgery (via Paul Friesen of the Winnipeg Sun):

We were aware he was contemplating having surgery, but were not directly involved with the decision making process.

As Friedman and McKenzie point out, this is a confusing outcome given that Byfuglien is currently suspended by the team, which means he isn’t being paid the $8MM salary his contract carries this year. Had he just been placed on injured reserve following the surgery he would be entitled to that salary, even if a good chunk of it was covered by insurance.

At this point, it is not clear how the Jets or Byfuglien will handle this next hurdle, though we at least now know there will be no immediate return to action. The Jets will have to hope their defense can hold things together in the meantime without the 34-year old.

Latest On Dustin Byfuglien

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Dustin Byfuglien’s leave of absence from the Jets was a big surprise heading into training camp and it doesn’t appear as there’s going to a return to action anytime soon.  In an appearance on Sportsnet 590 (video link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman indicated that at this stage, Winnipeg is basically trying to talk him out of retirement.

The 34-year-old has battled ankle and concussion trouble over the past couple of seasons to the point where he stepped away last month to ponder his NHL future and now we know which way he’s leaning at the moment.  Byfuglien still has two years left on his contract with $14MM in salary being owed to him over that time so it’s not as if it’s a situation where he has a back-diving contract where most of the money has already been paid on it.

The Jets have seen their defensive depth take a big hit over the offseason losing Jacob Trouba, Tyler Myers, and Ben Chiarot with their only real acquisition of note being Neal Pionk as part of the Trouba trade.  Now being without Byfuglien as well, what was once a strength has quickly turned to a weakness as Winnipeg has allowed ten goals through their first two games of the season.

While they would undoubtedly like to try to add to their back end, Byfuglien’s $7.6MM AAV is complicating things.  While he is currently suspended and not counting against their salary cap, the Jets only sit roughly $6.6MM under the Upper Limit, per CapFriendly.  In other words, if he was to come back over the next few weeks, they’d be over the cap.

Accordingly, Friedman notes that GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is waiting to hear a final decision before making any moves.  If Byfuglien was to retire, then Winnipeg would have plenty of cap room to try to go and add another blueliner but for the time being, the waiting game will continue.

Winnipeg Jets Suspend Dustin Byfuglien For Failing To Report

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With a need to protect their roster and salary cap flexibility, the Winnipeg Jets have suspended defenseman Dustin Byfuglien for not reporting to camp, according to TSN’s Bob McKenzie. An expected move for the Jets, the team will lose his cap hit until the veteran blueliner reports.

McKenzie reports that the paperwork has been filed to suspend Byfuglien, but it can be reversed at any time. McKenzie adds that Byfuglien is aware of the Winnipeg transaction and it is just looked at as a formality as the team waits for the blueliner to decide on his future in the league. The 34-year-old asked Winnipeg at the start of training camp for a leave of absence although no reason was given. However, three days ago, it was revealed that the veteran was actually contemplating his future and retirement is certainly an option for him.

Injuries did play a part for Byfuglien last season as he dealt with a concussion amongst several injuries and only appeared 42 games last season. He has two years remaining on a five-year, $38MM contract that pays him $7.6MM per year. With the suspension in place, the team will not have his cap hit affect the team, which CapFriendly now projects at $23MM in available cap space. The team might need that money, however, as the team still has two key restricted free agents looking to sign, including Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor. Both are asking for a major pay raise, which in theory, could now be paid out with the available cap space the Byfuglien has given the team.

Of course, Byfuglien could opt to return at any point and then the Jets would have to lift their suspension and then would be responsible for fitting that $7.6MM into their cap.

Dustin Byfuglien Contemplating NHL Future

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When the Winnipeg Jets announced recently that Dustin Byfuglien was taking a leave of absence from the team but it was not due to injury, eyebrows raised all around the league. Support poured out for whatever Byfuglien was dealing with, hoping that it would not affect his playing status for this year. According to Bob McKenzie of TSN, it might. McKenzie reports that the Winnipeg Jets defender is “using the time to ponder his NHL future” and explained there is no timetable for a decision.

Byfuglien is currently on the fourth of a five-year contract and is set to earn $8MM this season and $6MM next, all in salary. Retirement would forfeit all of that and remove one of the Jets’ most consistent defensemen from the team right before they are expected to contend for the Stanley Cup again. Winnipeg has already seen Jacob Trouba, Tyler Myers and Ben Chiarot leave through various methods this summer, meaning a loss of Byfuglien would sting even more.

Of course, there is also a potential silver lining for the Jets, who are still without Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor as they negotiate new contracts. The team doesn’t have a ton of cap space to fit the pair in if they wanted to go for long-term contracts, a problem that would be alleviated if Byfuglien retired. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic also suggests that the team could then pursue either Rasmus Ristolainin or Justin Faulk in trade to try and replace some of what Byfuglien brings, though that is just speculation at this point.

Training Camp Notes: Byfuglien, Dach, Perry

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The Winnipeg Jets today announced that Dustin Byfuglien has been granted a leave of absence from the team and will not be participating at the start of training camp. Head coach Paul Maurice and GM Kevin Cheveldayoff both explained that it is not injury related and that it is “nothing sinister.” There is no timetable for his return, but hopefully he can get whatever it is sorted out quickly.

More notes from around training camp:

  • The Chicago Blackhawks have given an update on the status of top prospect Kirby Dach after he was removed from a game during the prospect tournament recently. Dach is in the concussion protocol and will not be in the Blackhawks lineup when they start their exhibition schedule. Philipp Kurashev, who left the same game (along with two others), will not practice today with left knee and shoulder contusions. Calvin de Haan, who is still recovering from shoulder surgery, also now has a groin strain and is expected to be out for another two to three weeks.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have officially announced that Zach Bogosian, Matt Hunwick, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Lawrence Pilut will not take part in training camp due to injury. These had been previously reported, but it is still disappointing for a player like Pilut who has a chance to make a big impact on the NHL club this season.
  • Nolan Patrick wasn’t on the ice when the Philadelphia Flyers opened camp, sidelined with an upper-body injury according to Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer. After missing much of his draft season with various injuries, Patrick has battled minor ailments through each of his first two NHL seasons but still managed to play in 145 games. Still waiting for his breakout, missing camp would be a frustrating outcome for the 20-year old forward.
  • Though all the questions were about Julis Honka’s trade request, the Dallas Stars also announced that Corey Perry has a small fracture in his foot and will be reevaluated in two weeks according to Sean Shapiro of The Athletic. That isn’t a good start for Perry in Dallas where he’s trying to revitalize his career following a buyout from the Anaheim Ducks.

Injury Updates: Byfuglien, Gardiner, Malkin, Pitlick

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The Jets are getting a key part of their defense corps back for tonight’s game against Montreal as they announced that Dustin Byfuglien has been activated off injured reserve.  The 34-year-old has missed the last six weeks with an ankle injury and has played in just 37 games this season although he has been quite productive when healthy with 30 points on the year.  He’s expected to take Sami Niku’s in the lineup and get eased back into game action.  Meanwhile, while Niku is waiver-exempt, he’s ineligible to return to AHL Manitoba as Winnipeg opted to not paper him back down just before the trade deadline.

More injury notes from around the league:

  • The Maple Leafs are hoping to have defenseman Jake Gardiner back for their final two games of the season, head coach Mike Babcock told reporters, including Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star. He has been out of the lineup for more than a month with a back injury.  While having a back issue in the final year of his deal before being eligible for unrestricted free agency isn’t ideal, the fact that Toronto has struggled somewhat in his absence could mitigate that somewhat.  Gardiner ranked 12th in our midseason UFA power rankings.
  • Penguins center Evgeni Malkin participated in practice for the first time since sustaining an upper-body injury two weeks ago, notes Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He’s still unable to take contact so he’s still at least a few days away from returning but it’s at least a sign that he should be ready for the postseason at the very least.
  • The Stars announced (Twitter link) that they’ve activated winger Tyler Pitlick from injured reserve. He has been out of the lineup since mid-January after undergoing wrist surgery.  It’s unlikely that he’ll play a big role down the stretch but the 27-year-old should return to a bottom-six role for the stretch run in Dallas.

Central Notes: Zuccarello, Parise, Byfuglien, Rantanen, Landeskog

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The Dallas Stars continue to hang onto the top wildcard playoff spot and continue to attempt to fend off several teams trying to steal away their spot. The Stars may get a much-needed boost soon as veteran Mats Zuccarello, who appeared in just one game with Dallas after they acquired him from the New York Rangers at the trade deadline, is making progress and could return to the team soon.

Zuccarello, who scored a goal an assist in his first game in Dallas before breaking his arm while blocking a shot on Feb. 24, participated in Dallas’ pre-game skate, according to NHL.com’s Mark Stepneski. His four-week recovery estimate is almost up and the team hopes that he could be ready soon.

“It increases every day,” Zuccarello said of the stickhandling. “Maybe a week, just started light and now I can shoot a little bit more, but it still hurts a little bit.”

The 31-year-old Zuccarello has 12 goals and 39 points so far this year, but the Stars need his experience on their struggling second line, especially if they want to remain in the playoff position they are currently in.

  • The Minnesota Wild announced that the team will be without forward Zach Parise Saturday, who suffered an undisclosed injury Friday after colliding with Washington Capitals’ forward Tom Wilson. Parise, however, remained in the game and assisted on the team’s game-winning goal. The 34-year-old Parise is having a big season with 26 goals and 59 points in 73 games and has only missed two games this year up until now. It’s Parise’s biggest season since 2014-15. The team will replace Parise in the lineup with Pontus Aberg.
  •  The Winnipeg Jets are close to getting back a pair of key defensemen as both Dustin Byfuglien and Josh Morrissey each skated prior to the team’s morning skate Saturday, suggesting they could return soon, according to Mitchell Clinton of NHL.com. Byfuglien, who has been out since Feb. 14 with a lower-body injury, while Morrissey has been out since Feb. 24 with an upper-body injury. Head coach Paul Maurice said that Byfuglien has actually been skating on his own since Wednesday. “The way this works now is he skates, if he feels good the next day, he’ll start thinking about morning skates going forward,” said Maurice. “Then start building toward contact.”
  • The Denver Post’s Mike Chambers reports that the team will be without star forward Mikko Rantanen again on Sunday at Chicago after missing his first game of the season against the Blackhawks at home on Saturday with a midsection injury. The 22-year-old was hurt in Thursday’s game against Dallas when he was checked into the boards along the team benches. He remains day-to-day.
  • One a more positive note, BSN’s Adrian Dater reports there’s a chance, albeit a small chance, that injured forward Gabriel Landeskog, who was listed as being out four to six weeks with an upper-body injury back on Mar. 8, could return a bit early. That would be welcome news for a Colorado team that looked to be sliding out of the playoffs, but have had a recent resurgence that has brought them back into the playoff race. Landeskog is having a breakout year with 33 goals and 69 points.

Central Notes: Byfuglien, Smith, Perron, Read

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The Winipeg Jets got some good news about a pair of their defensemen as head coach Paul Maurice said today that the team expects defensive star Dustin Byfuglien begin skating again later this week, according to Winnipeg Sun’s Ken Wiebe. The 33-year-old has struggled all season with multiple injuries and hasn’t played since Feb. 14 after injuring his ankle. Byfuglien has appeared in just 37 games, but has shown his value in those games as he has four goals and 30 points in that span.

Wiebe also added that defenseman Joseph Morrow skated for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury. He has missed six straight games and is expected to be out Sunday, but could be back later this week. Morrow has six points in 39 games this season.

  • The Nashville Predators may be getting back one of their top forwards for today’s matchup against Minnesota as The Athletic’s Adam Vingan reports that Craig Smith has been activated off of injured reserve and is expected to join Kyle Turris and Mikael Granlund on the Predators’ second line. Smith has been out with a lower-body injury since Feb. 16 and has 16 goals this season in 61 games. The team might need him as the Wild have won five in a row.
  • After scoring no more than two goals per game over their last six, the St. Louis Blues are in desperate need for offense and the team, which has gone 2-3-1 after winning 11 straight. The team truly seems to miss injured forwards Brayden Schenn and David Perron, the latter of which could be ready to return to the lineup soon, according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Tom Timmermann. With the team not playing again for three days, that could be the time they need, especially with Perron, who has looked good in practice lately. More information will come Monday after the team’s practice.
  • The Minnesota Wild got an impressive performance from emergency callup Matt Read, who scored a goal and played an all-around great game Saturday night in Minnesota’s win over the Calgary Flames, according to The Athletic’s Mike Russo (subscription required). Unfortunately, with veteran Zach Parise expected to play Sunday, that could spell the end for Read unless they use one of their official recalls on him.

Minor Transactions: 02/19/19

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The NHL is busy tonight with nine games on the schedule, including a Central Division battle between the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars. With the St. Louis Blues on a ten game winning streak, the Stars are just trying to keep pace in the playoff race while the Predators try to hold onto second spot. As teams prepare for that action we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • The Winnipeg Jets have recalled Tucker Poolman as Dustin Byfuglien deals with another injury. Byfuglien will miss the next few games, meaning Poolman is up to serve as the team’s seventh defenseman. The 25-year old has played 30 games for the Manitoba Moose this year, but is still waiting to make his season debut in the NHL.
  • Ashton Sautner has been recalled by the Vancouver Canucks as they deal with several injuries to their defense corps. Sautner, 24, played in five games for the Canucks last year but has spent this entire season in the minor leagues.
  • With Victor Rask moved to injured reserve, the Minnesota Wild have recalled Cal O’Reilly from the AHL. O’Reilly has 38 points in 43 games with the Iowa Wild this season and has long been an exceptional minor league player. The 32-year old has yet to make his season debut for Minnesota. UPDATE: O’Reilly has been sent back to the minor leagues already.
  • Dale Weise is on his way back to the minor leagues, this time to make room on the roster for Paul Byron. The Montreal Canadiens have activated Byron from injured reserve, a huge boost to their team as they search for a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.
  • Blake Coleman has been activated from injured reserve by the New Jersey Devils, meaning the end of the run for Nick Lappin. The Devils sent Lappin back to the AHL today after just three games in the NHL.
  • Jan Rutta has been recalled by the Tampa Bay Lightning as Victor Hedman deals with a minor injury. Mathieu Joseph has been returned to the AHL to make room on the roster for another defenseman. Hedman is not expected to be out long.

Central Notes: Byfuglien, Little, Crawford

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Winnipeg Jets fans can breathe a sigh of relief when they learned that defenseman Dustin Byfuglien will be out Saturday in their game against the Ottawa Senators as head coach Paul Maurice indicated that the injury is a minor one and is in no way related to the ankle injury that kept the 6-foot-5, 260-pound blueliner out of 15 games earlier this season, according to Paul Friesen of the Winnipeg Sun.

“It’s another minor one that’s not going to help the original one,” Maurice said. “The original one’s fine enough to play. It’s strong, and it’s getting stronger. He wasn’t going to be able to perform very well, and we think in a few days he’ll settle right in.”

Winnipeg doesn’t play another game until Wednesday and Maurice believes that Byfuglien should be ready to return for that game in Colorado. With the loss of Joseph Morrow, the Jets will be shorthanded on defense, although Sami Niku was recalled earlier today to step into the lineup.

  • Sticking with the Jets, rumors have been thriving about the Jets’ attempts to pick up a top rental player before the trade deadline. However, that acquisition may have to prove themselves to work their way into the Jets’ top six as Maurice defended second-line center Bryan Little, suggesting that Little will not be leaving the team’s second line even if the team acquires a big-name player, according to TSN. “Other than the 16 points in the last 17 games, he’s gotta tighten that up, doesn’t he?” Maurice said. “He’s playing with two really young, unique players (Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic/Nikolaj Ehlers) and he’s done that for the last year and a half and he’s carried them in so many ways. Maybe it’s only the coach’s point of you to see how hard he works to get in and make things happen, but also to get out, to be on the right side of the puck, to battle every shift, to work with these kids who are really unique players.”
  • Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times writes that goaltender Corey Crawford has been cleared to return to the ice after sitting out for the last two months with another concussion. However, the team wants to be cautious before throwing him back in and won’t activate him for Saturday’s game. Lieser reports the team is considering putting him in the lineup on Monday when the host Ottawa, setting the veteran up with an easy home matchup to ease him back into the lineup. Crawford’s return could also force Collin Delia to return to the AHL despite faring well since being recalled.

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