Vegas Golden Knights: Thrashing out the merits of pursuing Byfuglien
Final Notes
Blending monster-like size and elite skill with an incredible hockey IQ to form a perfect blend of ingredients, Dustin Byfuglien is a game-changing talent who has produced many a moment of sheer brilliance throughout his prestigious and glittering career.
He boasts a sparkling resume and he knows what it takes to drag a beaten, weary body across the finishing line in order to win the greatest prize in all of sports.
Able to play as a forward too, Byfuglien is an ultimate offensive weapon and, at the peak of his powers, can contribute 40-50 points on his own while being a huge factor on the power play.
With a wealth of experience under his belt, Byfuglien would be a leader in that Golden Knights locker room and he would be the horse on the blueline they need.
But, at 35-years-old and with questions over his health, the veteran is more of a short-term fix than a long-term solution.
That, coupled with his uncertain future in hockey, makes Byfuglien a huge risk for any team considering making a run at him in free agency.
Plus, carrying a huge cap hit in Winnipeg, Byfuglien would need to take a huge pay cut in order to join most teams, let alone the Golden Knights, and whether he would be willing to do that remains to be seen.
dark. Next. Golden Knights tick all the boxes as a host city
Overall, as elite a talent as Dustin Byfuglien is, the question marks outweigh the positives at this point and the Vegas Golden Knights would be wise to pursue other cheaper options in order to improve their blueline.
However, if the player himself expressed a desire to sign an incredibly team-friendly deal in order to finish his career in Vegas, then it would be a worthwhile option to explore but that is a big if.