The Winnipeg Jets haven’t been the same since defenseman Dustin Byfuglien abruptly left the team prior to the 2019-20 season. During the his time with the Jets, the team performed to a 292-245-72 record.
We all remember how this all started when Byfuglien refused to show up at the Jets training camp at the start of the season. On September 13, 2019, the blue liner was granted an indefinite personal leave of absence by the team. However, he was later suspended by the Jets for not returning to training camp, though later reports indicated this was for salary cap relief. He underwent surgery for a high ankle sprain in late October, 2019, without direct involvement of the team. Byfuglien’s camp claimed that surgery was a result of injuries suffered during the previous regular season and playoffs and that the Jets should have paid for it. Winnipeg claimed Byfuglien had been given a clean bill of health at the end of the 2018-19 season. This is what led to the grievance being filed. On February 24, 2020, the Jets announced that Byfuglien would not return and the veteran later hung up the skates.
Since Big Buff left, the Jets have posted just an 84-67-16 record. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reiterated in his latest 32 Thoughts column how clearly the Jets miss Byfuglien:
“The more you watch Winnipeg, the more you realize how Dustin Byfuglien’s abrupt retirement changed the course of the franchise. Byfuglien was like Shea Weber. When he put his leg over the boards, the game changed. Good shift or bad, everyone knew he was out there. Everyone knew if they weren’t alert, they could be pancaked. He played a lot of minutes, took a lot of responsibility, covered up for a lot of minutes. We all knew he’d be a loss, but I don’t think we realized how big a loss and how hard it would be to replace him. We’re seeing it now.”
A few days ago, Mark Scheifele claimed that the Jets probably do not have an identity. That was never in doubt when Byfuglien was in the dressing room. Is leadership the problem for the Jets?
