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THE return of veteran defenceman Dustin Byfuglien is good news for the Winnipeg Jets, even if they were able to get by without their highest-paid player.
Byfuglien, who is in the second year of a five-year deal worth an average of US$7.6 million per season, returned to the lineup Tuesday against the Colorado Avalanche at Pepsi Center. The Jets were without the big blue-liner for 10 games due to a lower-body injury but managed a 6-3-1 record over that stretch.
While Byfuglien being in the lineup gives head coach Paul Maurice the opportunity to better manage the minutes on the back end — Byfuglien was averaging a team-high 23:40 minutes of ice time per game before his injury — it meant someone had to come out.