Dustin Byfuglien is now a free agent, so the Toronto Maple Leafs should try to sign him.
With a cap-hit of $7.6 million, the Toronto Maple Leafs were never going to be able to afford Dustin Byfuglien, but now they may be able to.
The 35-year old-defenseman didn’t play a game this year with the Winnipeg Jets and was suspended by the team for failing to report to training camp.
By officially terminating his contract, Byfuglien is now a free agent and is able to sign with any team.
Toronto Maple Leafs and Byfuglien
So, why not the Leafs?
The @NHLJets and Dustin Byfuglien reach agreement – Player’s contract terminated. pic.twitter.com/K6pYFkmy8Y
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 17, 2020
Before we talk about his playing ability and potential contract, it’s still possible that Byfuglien will retire.
He’s made over $66 million is his career, so money won’t be an issue for him and his family for the rest of his life, but there’s still a potential he’ll want to return to hockey.
Byfuglien is still a great defenseman and the Jets took a huge hit this year by not having him on the back-end.
There is one issue with signing Byfuglien, though: his weight.
Gary Lawless wrote about this issue back in 2013, saying:
"It was evident Byfuglien grew heavier this season as the games moved on and according to accredited Jets blogger Pete Tessier, the player’s weight rose to 302 pounds by season’s end."
Although his weight is an issue, if Byfuglien wants to play hockey again, the Leafs should 100 percent take a look at him.
The number-one concern about the Leafs right now is their blue-line and the lack of defense.
Byfuglien can a solid defender while also providing great offense on the power-play with his killer shot from the point.
Salary constraints may be an issue for signing Byfuglien, but at 35-years-old and having just taken a year off hockey, you’d have to imagine the Toronto Maple Leafs would be able to get a bargain on a one or two-year max contract.
Toronto currently has $70 million tied up in cap-space next year, which gives them about $11 million to sign seven players if the cap stays around $81.5 million.
Although the Leafs wouldn’t be able to afford to give Byfuglien another $7.6 million contract, they would be able to afford somewhere around $4 million on a one-year deal.
If they decided to move someone like Kasperi Kapanen, Alex Kerfoot or Andreas Johnsson and took on a lesser contract, then they’d obviously be able to afford more.
Although Byfuglien hasn’t played in a year, he would be a great addition and wouldn’t be looked upon as a top-pair defenseman in Toronto either, which I’m sure he’d enjoy.
He’d be able to fit in great as a second-pairing defenseman and be a huge help to someone like Travis Dermott or Justin Holl on a nightly basis.
The Leafs should try to Sign Byfuglien.