DALLAS – The high-risk, high-reward version of Dustin Byfuglien was good for highlight reels, but the new, understated Buff is making a bigger contribution to Winnipeg’s bid for a post-season berth.
It can be argued Byfuglien has been the Jets' best player since top pairing defenceman Jacob Trouba went down with a lower-body injury on Jan. 25.
In 12 games since, Byfuglien’s ice time has cracked the 25-minute barrier eight times while he's scored twice and added 13 assists. In 38 games prior, he reached that 25-minute threshold only eight times, which was a far cry from the 2017-18 season when he averaged 27:26 to lead the entire NHL.