A Fit Dustin Byfuglien is Good News for the Winnipeg Jets

Talent has never been a problem for hulking Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien. Fitness, on the other hand, has been a dark cloud over the 28-year-old. But this year, instead of being met with raised eyebrows and questions about his weight at the beginning of training camp, Byfuglien is being praised for his offseason training.

Listed at 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds, Byfuglien often played significantly heavier than reports indicated. He always used his size well on the ice and his offensive talent was undeniable, but his conditioning has been continuously questioned. Not this year though. Some estimates have Byfuglien 30-40 pounds lighter than he was at the end of last year, when he finished with eight goals and 20 assists in 43 games played. This year he’s set at +1500 to win the Norris Trophy.

“He’s committed himself to himself and the team. Most importantly, his head is in the right place. He put in hard work this summer,” teammate Blake Wheeler said of Byfuglien. “I haven’t pinched him, I haven’t put him on a scale yet. He looks really good and that’s as far as I’ll go. He worked really hard this summer and he’s in a good place.”

And when Big Buff is in a good place, so too are the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets finally move to the Western Conference and out of the travel nightmare they have been living with since the team moved from Atlanta in 2011. That should help the team stay fresh and it will need to be in a division with St. Louis, Chicago, and Minnesota.

“I think that the Western Conference is a conference that’s got size and speed — I think there’s a little bit of difference in the conferences — but I think for our team we’ve got size, we’ve got speed,” Winnipeg coach Claude Noel told reporters.

That begins and ends with Byfuglien and goaltending. Last year the Jets gave up 144 goals, which was fourth worst in the Eastern Conference. Unless they can make some big changes in their own end, they’re going to have a tough time in the West.

Right now, Sports Interaction has the Jets at +305 to make the playoffs, +2200 to win the Central Division and a whopping +5000 to win the Stanley Cup.