Jets Would Be Better Off Without Dustin Byfuglien

Dustin Byfuglien is a bit of an enigma on the rising Winnipeg Jets club. For one, he is a bonafide stud offensive defenceman. For another, he is a defensive liability on a team that leaks a lot of goals against.

THE ORIGINS OF DUSTIN BYFUGLIEN

When the Jets (then the Thrashers) acquired Dustin Byfuglien, he was coming off a Stanley Cup championship with the Chicago Blackhawks. During that run, Byfuglien was used mainly as a third line winger and a net-front presence on the power play.
Upon his arrival, the Jets (Thrashers) began utilizing “Big Buff” as their number one defenceman. While they needed a guy to produce points from the back end, it became evident that Byfuglien is more of a rover on the ice.
I haven’t always watched the Jets with a close eye, but I have watched every game this season as I try to get more acquainted with the team for the sake of this site.
One thing I’ve noticed the most is the amount of times Dustin Byfuglien gets caught in the offensive zone. I’m willing to bet that Byfuglien costs his team more goals than he provides.

BETTER OFF WITHOUT BUFF

The Jets boast a very special group of young forwards who are a consistent threat to score every time they are on the ice. The biggest shortcoming of the group is the lack of shutdown ability.
If the Jets had a Marc-Edouard Vlasic or an Adam Larsson on the back end, they would be a surefire playoff team. Instead, they have Dustin Byfuglien as their top defender.
Jacob Trouba and Josh Morrissey are the future of the blue line, but both young defenders are not necessarily defensive stalwarts.
While Dustin Byfuglien can handle big minutes, I’m willing to bet that by moving the big man, the Jets would be a better team defensively.

WHAT’S THE MARKET?

The biggest issue with considering moving Dustin Byfuglien is the timing. Byfuglien has a large contract and is owed $7.6m until the 2021-22 season when he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
That’s a big price for a player who can be considered a liability from time to time.
Not many teams are in dire need of an offensive defenceman of Byfuglien’s caliber, especially at this price point.
The Jets will likely have to take back a bad contract to get a wanted asset back in exchange for the 6’7 giant of a blueliner.

SWAP BAD CONTRACTS?

One scenario that could make sense is to trade Dustin Byfuglien in a similar deal that saw the Canadiens and Predators swap big priced defenceman. Of course, I’m talking about the PK Subban for Shea Weber deal that shook the hockey world two summers ago.
Subban plays a similar style to that of Big Buff, and Subban was moved mainly because his style of play (and off ice antics) didn’t fit the team’s need. Shea Weber plays a no-nonsense style of game that fitted the Habs style better.
With that in mind, I wonder if the Jets and Senators could get together and make a similar deal. Dion Phaneuf has a big contract that is oodles more than his actual worth, but he is still a serviceable d-man in the league right now.
Phaneuf is a safer defensive player and could greatly improve the Jets blue line.

AM I CRAZY?

The Jets would benefit greatly by improving their blue line and I obviously believe moving Dustin Byfuglien would be a great addition by subtraction move.
I might be crazy to think that, but as an outside eye, I believe Dustin Byfuglien is making the team worse. He is a tremendous player and could be valuable elsewhere. He is, however, miscast as the number one defender.
Let me know what you think in the comments.