Filed under: Thrashers
As a member of the Chicago Blackhawks Dustin Byfuglien played the role of power forward. The production wasn't always consistent, but during the 2009-10 postseason he turned into a force and was a vital part of a Blackhawks team that ended the franchise's infamous Stanley Cup drought. When he was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers this summer, mainly due to Chicago's salary cap problems, general manager Rick Dudley decided that with his size and skating ability the 6-foot-5 Byfuglien had a chance to be a special player on his teams blue line and moved him to defense (the position Byfuglien was originally drafted at by the Blackhawks).
The decision was instantly greeted with plenty of jeers and was widely panned. Through the first 58 games of the season, he's exceeded all expectations and on Tuesday was rewarded with a brand new five-year contract extension that will pay him a total of $26 million.
Said Dudley in a statement released by the team, "Dustin has emerged into an elite player this season and been invaluable as a leader both on and off the ice. It was a priority to sign him and we're looking forward to witnessing his All-Star caliber play for many years to come."
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Source: http://nhl.fanhouse.com/2011/02/15/dustin-byfuglien-signs-contract-extension-with-atlanta/
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