While Winnipeg's Dustin Byfuglien continues to remain at home contemplating whether he wants to return to the NHL, it seems the Jets made sure to leave just enough cap space with their latest two RFA signings to ensure his contract still fits. Byfuglien's $7.6 million cap hit has been removed from Winnipeg's books after the team put him under suspension for failing to show up at training camp. This was not a punitive move as much as a money move. At the time, Winnipeg still had to sign restricted free agents Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor.
Just a few days ago, Laine signed a two-year bridge deal with a $6.75M AAV. Saturday night, Kyle Connor signed a seven-year extension that carries a $7.14 million AAV. With the two signings, Winnipeg has $7.71 million remaining in cap space. Should Byfuglien return, his $7.6 million cap hit will return with it, leaving the Jets with $110,000 in salary cap. It seems clear the team worked hard in negotiations to make sure Byfuglien can return without having to rid themselves of any other salary.
That said, if Byfuglien doesn't return, Winnipeg's blue-line will be in a tough spot. The team would have lost Byfuglien, Jacob Trouba, Tyler Myers, and Ben Chiarot during the offseason, meaning the back end has been completely revamped. Byfuglien would not only be missed for his offensive contributions, but also his hard-nosed, heavy-hitting style of play that wears opposing teams down. It will be interesting to see how this situation ends for Winnipeg, and how the team deals with Byfuglien's loss and the added cap space should he decide he's done.
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