Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien is set to enter the final year of his current contract this season. Because of this, speculation has begun to build and rumors have started to swirl that Byfuglien may not be long for a Jets uniform. Byfuglien's a talented, versatile player likely to cash in big-time on his next deal, so it makes ample sense that other teams around the NHL would start to sniff. The Boston Bruins, a team in the first year of significant front office changes, have already felt the sting of the injury bug this offseason and are said to be eyeing a potential defensive addition, possibly via trade.
Supply, meet demand.
Unfortunately, it seems that there's little likelihood of a deal being consummated between the Jets and Bruins for Byfuglien due to the assets it would to take to acquire the big blueliner.
"There have been a lot of rumors about Byfuglien to Boston," Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said Monday while appearing on Calgary's Sportsnet 960, via TodaysSlapShot.com. "Boston is looking for a defenseman, but I'm under the impression that while anything is possible, right now they're kind of looking for more cost-effective solutions, so I don't know if that's going to be reasonable."
With captain Zdeno Chara on the shelf for an indeterminate amount of time - not to mention growing longer in the tooth every season - and Dennis Seidenberg sidelined for the next few months, the need for an impact addition to the Bruin defensive corps is, in a word, glaring.
Unfortunately, it sounds like new Bruins GM Don Sweeney isn't interested in going the expensive route, meaning he'll spend the next few weeks bargain-bin shopping instead of pursuing a player like Byfuglien who, while expensive, would upgrade their entire defensive unit.
