Dustin Byfuglien receiving interest, but reportedly unlikely to play in NHL again

After his contract was terminated by the Winnipeg Jets in April, Dustin Byfuglien became an unrestricted free agent. The defenseman didn't play the remainder of the 2019-20 NHL season, but he became one of the most intriguing defensemen available on the open market for the 2020-21 campaign. 

In his "31 Thoughts" article, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports that Byfuglien probably won't ever play in the NHL again, according to his agent. The 35-year-old received interest from the Minnesota Wild, his hometown team, but it appears he's not considering it.

Byfuglien's case was among the oddest we've ever seen in professional sports. After reporting ahead of training camp, he suddenly left before it began, citing a lack of desire to play. The Jets suspended him without pay for not reporting. 

It was later determined that Byfuglien needed ankle surgery, which the Jets argued was not hockey related. His camp, however, felt that the injury was suffered while in Winnipeg, and thus he shouldn't have been suspended and instead placed on long-term injured reserve so he could still collect his salary. 

Winnipeg ended up winning the dispute, and Byfuglien didn't receive any of the $14 million in salary he would have been owed for the 2019-20 season and the next. 

If this is the end of the line for Byfuglien, he will have finished playing 869 games with the Jets, Chicago Blackhawks and Atlanta Thrashers. He tallied 177 goals and 348 assists for 525 points in 14 seasons. He was a part of the Chicago team that won the Stanley Cup in 2010.