Wray Morrison: Calculating the next move

A 34-year-old hockey player who hasn’t dressed for one game this season has put Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff under the microscope.

Four years ago, the Jets signed Dustin Byfuglien to a five-year contract worth $7.6 million per season. The former Western Hockey League player has proven, on many occasions, that he can be a difference-maker.

However, Byfuglien has some baggage. In his first season in Winnipeg, Byfuglien was charged with being under the influence in a boating accident in Minnesota. This past fall, he was given a personal leave of absence; no other details were known.

There are reports that Byfuglien doesn’t have any interest in returning to Winnipeg, so he and Cheveldayoff are working toward mutual contract termination. This would open up more than $7 million in cap space for the Jets to bolster a team in a market where expectations are very high.

Cheveldayoff will be graded on how this split goes, and what his team does to stay competitive in finding a replacement.

This is where NHL general managers earn their money.