Winnipeg Jets – Dustin Byfuglien

The Winnipeg Jets are a rebuilding team with not many established players. However, defenseman (and potential future captain) Dustin Byfuglien could have an interesting Hall of Fame case by the time that he retires. His case will be interesting because very few, if any, players have converted from forward to defense while maintaining a high level of play.

Byfuglien began his career as a defenseman. He converted to forward for the Chicago Blackhawks and his popularity was perhaps at its greatest height during Chicago’s Stanley Cup run in 2009-2010. Byfuglien priced himself out of Chicago and into Atlanta. The Atlanta Thrashers immediately decided to convert him to a defenseman, which was his natural position. Just as he made the transition from defenseman to forward seamlessly, the transition from forward to defenseman went remarkably well thanks to his unique combination of size, speed, and skill.

The Jets defenseman has multiple 20 goal seasons, something that very few defensemen have accomplished. Dustin Byfuglien is 31 years old, so his best years could be behind him. His case for the Hall of Fame largely depends on how well he ages. Should he age well and remain productive, he might get enshrined in the Hall of Fame.