5 worst contracts signed in Winnipeg Jets history feat. Dustin Byfuglien

By Nestor Quixtan

Modified Jul 21, 2024 12:06 GMT

The Winnipeg Jets have had a tortured history with contract signings. Some of these contracts constitute the worst in Jets history. But there's one in particular that is known as one of the worst of all-time. While these contracts might have made sense at the time, in hindsight, they look awful.

So, let’s dive into the five worst contracts in Winnipeg Jets history.

5 worst contracts signed in Winnipeg Jets history

#5: Olli Jokinen

Jokinen was a solid, if unspectacular, player throughout his career. He nearly topped 40 goals two years in a row with the Florida Panthers in the mid-2000s. By 2011, he was coming off a 23-goal, 61-point season with the Calgary Flames.

So, the Winnipeg Jets decided to give Jokinen a substantial two-year, $9 million deal. The $4.5 million AAV was a hefty chunk of change at the time.

Unfortunately, it did not pay off. In his first season, Jokinen scored seven goals and 14 points in 45 games. He bounced back with 43 points in 82 games in 2013-14. However, his minus-27 combined in both seasons did not justify the price tag.

Jokinen split the next two seasons with three teams before ending his career.

#4: Steve Mason

Mason had a fantastic rookie season with the Columbus Blue Jackets. However, he was never able to replicate that success in Winnipeg.

The solid play prompted the Winnipeg Jets to sign Mason to a two-year, $8.2 million deal. The $4.1 AAV was considered fair for a starting goaltender. Nevertheless, Mason did not deliver. He played 13 games in 2017-18, posting a 3.24 GAA and a .906 SV%.

The following season, the Jets dumped Mason’s contract on the Montreal Canadiens, costing the Jets fourth and seventh-round picks and then-prospect Joel Armia.

#3: Tobias Enstrom

The Atlanta Thrashers drafted Enstrom in the eighth round of the 2003 draft. He stuck with the club during the move from Atlanta to Winnipeg. He twice topped 40 points as a blueliner with Atlanta, establishing him as one of the team’s core members.

In the summer of 2012, the Winnipeg Jets signed Enstrom to a five-year, $28.75 million deal. His $5.75 million AAV ranked him among the highest-paid NHL defensemen at the time. However, the Winnipeg Jets saw his production immediately plummet. He only topped 30 points once throughout the contract.

Overall, Enstrom was a serviceable defenseman for Winnipeg but never lived up to the big contract he was given. He retired from playing in over 700 games for the Thrashers/Jets organization.

#2: Mathieu Perreault

Perreault had been a useful bottom-six forward for the Washington Capitals before a great year with the Anaheim Ducks in 2013-14. So, the Jets signed Perreault to a three-year, $9 million deal as a free agent.

The deal was questionable, but Perreault showed similar production, topping 40 points in all three years. That production prompted the Jets to give Perreault a four-year, $16.5 million extension. However, the second deal did not pay off.

Perreault was plagued by inconsistency throughout his second deal with the Winnipeg Jets. He never topped 40 points again, seeing his production evaporate in the third and fourth years of the agreement. He managed 19 points in 56 games in 2020-21, making the $4.125 AAV considerably high for a fourth-liner.

#1: Dustin Byfuglien

There is a long history between the Jets and Byfuglien. The towering defenseman had been a force with the Chicago Blackhawks before moving to the Atlanta Thrashers. Then, he continued his effective play with the Jets, putting up respectable numbers and topping 50 points four times in Winnipeg.

The Jets signed Byfuglien to a five-year, $38 million deal in 2016. Byfuglien responded with back-to-back 50-point campaigns.

However, Byfuglien and the Jets entered into a serious dispute over a personal leave of absence Byfuglien took without the team’s consent. While Byfuglien did not state the reason for this leave of absence, he later justified it as the result of an injury.

Byfuglien then had surgery without the club’s knowledge or consent, causing the team to suspend Byfuglien as he informed the team he could not play. The dispute ended in 2020 when both sides agreed to terminate the contract.