The Winnipeg Jets seemingly remain the No. 1 destination for New York Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic. Reports continue to swirl that the Jets and Islanders have discussed or are discussing a possible deal centered on Hamonic. Last week it was suggested that Islanders GM Garth Snow was targeting one of Tyler Myers or Jacob Trouba in exchange for Hamonic. And while compensation for any deal has yet to be finalized - or made known to the media - it sounds like the Jets are thinking about taking care of some in-house business before they make any final determinations on Hamonic. Per a report from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Jets and GM Kevin Cheveldayoff are likely going to revisit contract talks with Dustin Byfuglien before moving forward with - or altogether nixing - Hamonic trade talks with New York.
"As part of this whole Hamonic thing in Winnipeg, I do think that the Jets are going to go back to Dustin Byfuglien and take another run at, 'Can we sign you here,'" Friedman said Monday, while appearing on Calgary's Sportsnet 960, via Today's Slap Shot. "Cheveldayoff didn't talk about it. The agent wouldn't talk about it. But there is a sense that they want to have all their ducks in a row before they decide whether or not to do this. And taking another run at Byfuglien is part of that."
Big Buff is a vitally important piece for the Jets that also happens have some pretty significant flaws to his game. He's supremely talented, but his talent doesn't come in a traditional package - physically, at 6-foot-5, 260-pounds or mentally/emotionally. He's entertaining to watch and an astounding presence on the ice, but he's also prone to lapses and has jumped around the lineup for the Jets, just as he had for the other NHL teams for which he played.
Approaching his 31st birthday and set to hit unrestricted free agency, Byfuglien's future certainly bears watching for the Jets. If he's handed a long-term contract extension, that may make it easier for Cheveldayoff and the Jets to send a player like Myers - assuming Snow is interested - to the Islanders. Without him signed, that leaves a potentially large hole in the Winnipeg roster and plan going forward, especially considering they'll enter the offseason with captain Andrew Ladd needing a new deal as well.
Per Friedman, the likely impediment to a deal at this point is term. The Jets, of course, would want Buff locked up for four, maybe five years. Byfuglien and his representatives are likely seeking a deal in the six-year range.
In the end, Byfuglien is an offensively dynamic force who just so happens to play on the blueline. He's unique, and that uniqueness is what makes him so alluring and is what will see him paid this offseason, whether it be by Winnipeg or another NHL franchise. But unless and until this situation is resolved for the Jets, it seems like talk of Travis Hamonic joining the franchise are likely to remain on the backburner.
