Friedman: "I wonder about Dustin Byfuglien" (asked about surprise player who may be available)

[north49er]

ntMyers is playing better than Trouba. Trouba's puck handling in his own end isn't very good. He's not as good as he or his agent think.

 

[North Man]

I'm 95% sure MyMerlinCat is actually Elliot Friedman

 

[GoJetsGo55]

If Trouba signs, we should move on from Buff. He's still got it but we will need the cap space. Trade him while he's still got pretty good value.

 

[Zhamnov5GoalGame]

FIRST...

Buff has a NMC until the end of this season (becomes a modified NTC next season).
That means it is really unlikely that the Jets would be moving him.
And similar to every thread about Jets D...
Jets can't do anything until they lock down Trouba.
If he is moving on then Buff is not.

As for Buff complaining about minutes.
He just played 25 minutes (including most of the OT) against Colorado.
Last game (vs Sabres) he only played 17.5 or so.
This was largely due to the high number of penalties that the Jets took (Buff doesn't PK this year)
The reporter asked him directly if he would like to play more.
They asked him directly if he wanted to be on the ice in the last couple of minutes because he wasn't.
If he had answered "no" then would we be talking about how he doesn't want to play?

There's a difference between saying you're unhappy with playing time in the media to cause $%&! and just saying "ya I want to play more". All competitive athletes want to play more.

He's had no shortage of ice time as one of the leading minute per game players in the NHL.

 

[Atoyot]

ntMyers is playing better than Trouba. Trouba's puck handling in his own end isn't very good. He's not as good as he or his agent think.

If Trouba's puck handling in his own end isn't very good, then Myers' puck handling in his own end is vomit worthy. For the record I like them both, but Myers is pretty awful in his own zone.

 

[JetsHomer]

If Trouba signs, we should move on from Buff. He's still got it but we will need the cap space. Trade him while he's still got pretty good value.

The Jets will have at least 26.6m in cap space next year. They don’t need to move any of their players. Why would they cheap out now that the team actually looks good?

 

[Liver King]

interesting - what would winnipeg be looking for in return

 

[simon IC]

Would love me some Buff on the Blues! But that contract ... In any case, I don't see the Jets and Blues as good trade partners, being that we are fighting for the Central title. (Aside, looking forward to a Blues/Jets tilt! I wish you well, Jet's fans, until of course, you play us. )

 

[lanceuppercut75]

interesting - what would winnipeg be looking for in return

Probably a first pairing LHD. Either straight up, or one team adds to even the value.

 

[Liver King]

Probably a first pairing LHD. Either straight up, or one team adds to even the value.

true, that would make sense

 

[Saitama]

Would love me some Buff on the Blues! But that contract ... In any case, I don't see the Jets and Blues as good trade partners, being that we are fighting for the Central title. (Aside, looking forward to a Blues/Jets tilt! I wish you well, Jet's fans, until of course, you play us. )

I don't want Buff hitting anyone on the Jets that often!

 

[GoJetsGo55]

The Jets will have at least 26.6m in cap space next year. They don’t need to move any of their players. Why would they cheap out now that the team actually looks good?

I am not saying that I am totally sold on the idea. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Buff but:

1) We are loaded on that side
2) Buff has some pretty great value
3) His high risk, high reward is the exact opposite type of hockey we are playing right now
4) We did absolutely fine without him

It's not a "move him because he's an issue" thing. It's just a thought in a direction of benefiting greater in the future for a reasonable loss today.

 

[belair]

This guy's 32 and has looked pretty bad from what I've seen from him this year and has four more years at $7.5m. I don't know if any team offers Winnipeg full value.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Something around Sekera perhaps?

Helps balence the L/R split on Winnipeg's defence

Morrissey-Trouba
Sekera-Myers

... And Edmonton has enough defensive defencemen to cover for Buff...

Nurse-Larsson
Russell-Buff
Davidson-Klefbom

He can get all the offensive minutes he wants in Edmonton.

 

[Captain Controversy]

Something around Sekera perhaps?

Helps balence the L/R split on Winnipeg's defence

Morrissey-Trouba
Sekera-Myers

... And Edmonton has enough defensive defencemen to cover for Buff...

Nurse-Larsson
Russell-Buff
Davidson-Klefbom

He can get all the offensive minutes he wants in Edmonton.

I conquer.

 

[larmex99]

This guy's 32 and has looked pretty bad from what I've seen from him this year and has four more years at $7.5m. I don't know if any team offers Winnipeg full value.

If you think he has been “pretty bad” you haven’t been watching him much. He is playing a solid defensive game while being a strong physical presence. He has had a few bad games where he tries to do too much when we were down a few goals, but we can live with that. He has obviously been asked to stop the roving and the team has benefited from it. He may be traded once he starts to decline but the Jets are loyal to their troops, for the most part.

 

[mcpw]

Yes. A team on pace for 107 points is totally going to trade their right shot assistant captain defenseman averaging 23:30 min/game with a full NMC, because another right shot defenseman on that team, who has spent over 90% of his 5v5 TOI this season playing on the right side with a left shot partner, doesn't want to play on the left side.

Jesus Christ Friedman.

 

[FirstRowUpperDeck]

What mcpw said. After years of struggle, they are finally realizing their potential and they want to upset chemistry at the TDL. The entire Central division would love it. I see it as only possible if for some reason Buff is hurt for a month before the TDL, and it would be easier to remove him since he had been gone from the locker room and not contributing down the stretch anyway.

Not considering the NTC. Off season move to bring in younger player at a different position makes more sense anyway. Given his term, he doesn't seem like the typical TDL rental.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

If Buff gets traded it will be to a team that has ABSOLUTELY no defense, and think that it'd be one of the last place teams and they send one of their best players the other way in order for Winnipeg to contend.

But I'd like to keep him because he's a player opponents fear to play against. If I were him I'd settle for the minutes and be happy.

 

[lifelonghockeyfan]

Yea, trading Buff and his 7.6m NTC is sooooo easy. Hard to believe that the Jets will be having cap problems in the future. Cap problem should be for only really good teams, like Cup champs who have really good players.
Shouldn't really be an issue with the Jets.

 

[Carson22]

This guy's 32 and has looked pretty bad from what I've seen from him this year and has four more years at $7.5m. I don't know if any team offers Winnipeg full value.

You obviously haven’t watched him play if you think he has been bad. The jets have asked him to play a more responsible defensive role, and take less chances making unnecessary pinches, and look where it has the team. Classic case of someone not watching games, and making matter of fact statements based on looking at the stats pages.

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

If Trouba signs a long-term deal, i would absolutely trade Buff. Trouba-Morrissey-Myers-Kulikov is a completely fine and functional top 4. If we get something good for him and get 7.6M cap space to play with, that could easily turn out better for us moving forward.

I personally believe Buff missing time has been a blessing in disguise. The best way i can put it, when he's in the lineup he tends to feed into a mental rollercoaster. Good game-bad game/good stretch-bad stretch doesn't get it done long-term if you want to win games every night. I can't picture a team with Buff playing big minutes winning the stanley cup.

Not to say he's bad hockey player obviously and there's a lot of good with him, but when the bad tendencies come out he can cost you hockey games and i personally wouldn't want to deal with that. He's also 32 and signed for 3 more years, there's always the potential for his play falling off a bit turning him into a very overpaid player.

All this said, we're in no hurry to do anything. For the time being keeping him is the best thign to do.

 

[CB Joe]

The Jets will have at least 26.6m in cap space next year. They don’t need to move any of their players. Why would they cheap out now that the team actually looks good?

That will depend on the team budget. If they are willing to spend now is the time.

 

[Royale With Cheese]

If Trouba signs, we should move on from Buff. He's still got it but we will need the cap space. Trade him while he's still got pretty good value.

I think that's the key right there.

If Trouba does re-sign for 5-8 years, I think Buff will be / should be traded.

If Trouba doesn't want to sign, you've got to trade him instead.

Either way, it took the Jets 5 years to get defensive depth, so if either gets traded, we need an NHL ready D + back in a trade.

 

[lifelonghockeyfan]

Once Trouba took " a CBA imposed" two year contract, he has set himself up for to be UFA in summer of 2020.
Yes, the Jets would probably best to trade him this summer for fair value. But it nonsense to think that "Trouba won't resign" with the Jets this summer. He is eligible for arbitration, so he is going to get paid and get paid well.
What are Trouba's options for the next two year if he doesn't get traded? 1. Arbitration settlement. 2. Retire. 3. Sign in Europe.
Lots of players don't sign long term with their teams....And right now Trouba, is 2.5 year away from being UFA. Why folks think the Jets or Trouba are in a unique situation, just isn't factual.