After all the drama regarding Winnipeg's Dustin Byfuglien and whether he would return to the NHL this season, we now have an answer. According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, Byfuglien has yet to resume skating after having ankle surgery last October and is unlikely to be back on the ice this season.
Friedman adds Byfuglien's situation will be re-visited over the summer and he and the team will decide then what the next course of action would be. Byfuglien's current contract, paying him $7.6 million, runs out at the end of 2020-21.
The 34-year-old blueliner was suspended without pay by the Jets for failing to report to training camp as he reportedly mulled his hockey future. His camp is arguing his surgery was due to a hockey-related ailment from last season that never fully healed. However, Byfuglien was deemed fully healthy by the Jets after passing his routine end-of-season physical last April.
The NHLPA filed a grievance on his behalf, arguing that he should be getting paid this season as any player on long-term injured reserve would. However, Byfuglien hasn't received any money since he's remained suspended.
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