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Jets 1.0 / 2.0 Comparables: Dustin Byfuglien – Big Buff’s Big Year

While I drew the ire of a few readers by suggesting there was a link between the Jets of old and the Jets of new, I do intend to continue with the comparisons. Before I get rolling I would like to reiterate that this is not an attempt to claim ownership of the “official records” that rest in Phoenix. This is simply number munching from another perspective. The intention here is to provide a statistical record that allows easy comparisons between the players that people saw 15+ years ago and what they are seeing now.

This is about Winnipeg hockey history and offering a more info to the fans; it isn’t any bigger than that.

Today we take a look at Dustin Byfuglien and how his 2011-12 production compares to Jets players of the past. I am also going to include all-time Atl / Jets 2.0 tables for comparison sake, hopefully this ensures that nobody yells at me.

Lets get at it!

The first table shows the top 25 all-time Jets seasons (defensemen by points) filtered by PTS / GM.

Jets All Time Seasons by Defensemen (Points/GM)

RNK

Player

Season

Age

GP

G

A

PTS

+/-

PTS/GM

1

Phil Housley

1992-93

28

80

18

79

97

-14

1.21

2

Phil Housley

1991-92

27

74

23

63

86

-5

1.16

3

Phil Housley

1990-91

26

78

23

53

76

-13

0.97

4

Dave Babych

1982-83

21

79

13

61

74

-10

0.94

5

Dave Babych

1983-84

22

66

18

39

57

-31

0.86

6

Dave Babych

1981-82

20

79

19

49

68

-11

0.86

7

Dave Ellett

1987-88

23

68

13

45

58

-8

0.85

8

Fredrik Olausson

1992-93

26

68

16

41

57

-4

0.84

9

Fredrik Olausson

1988-89

22

75

15

47

62

6

0.83

10

Fredrik Olausson

1991-92

25

77

20

42

62

-31

0.81

11



Dustin Byfuglien



2011-12



26



66



12



41



53



-8



0.80

12

Lars-Erik Sjoberg

1974-75

30

75

7

53

60

43

0.80

13

Dave Babych

1984-85

23

78

13

49

62

-16

0.79

14

Randy Carlyle

1987-88

31

78

15

44

59

-20

0.76

15

Larry Hornung

1972-73

27

77

13

45

58

0.75

16

Moe Mantha

1983-84

23

72

16

38

54

-14

0.75

17

Dave Ellett

1988-89

24

75

22

34

56

-18

0.75

18

Teppo Numminen

1995-96

27

74

11

43

54

-4

0.73

19

Randy Carlyle

1985-86

29

68

16

33

49

-12

0.72

20

Randy Carlyle

1984-85

28

71

13

38

51

23

0.72

21

Fredrik Olausson

1989-90

23

77

9

46

55

-1

0.71

22

Mike Ford

1975-76

23

81

13

43

56

39

0.69

23

Barry Long

1976-77

28

71

9

38

47

-1

0.66

24

Mario Marois

1987-88

30

79

7

44

51

5

0.65

25

Lars-Erik Sjoberg

1977-78

33

78

11

39

50

60

0.64

Buff’s 2011-12 season sits in 11th on the list and that is without adjusting for era. That is big time production! While I’m sure Winnipegers were aware that Buff was putting up big numbers, I’m not sure they realised just how productive he was. If we look at all defensemen since the lockout; only 10 players have put up more points per game over the course of a season.

Other notes:

There are a number of players on that list who were far more minus that our Big Bustin was this year. Did Housley and Babych receive similar criticism for their defensive lapses? I am too young to recall.

The WHA teams look to have had a far better goal differentials than pretty much every Jets 1.0 squad.

Let’s take a look at the all-time Thrashers. Data has been sorted the same way.

Thrashers All Time Seasons by Defensemen (Points/GM)

RNK

Player

Season

Age

GP

G

A

PTS

+/-

PTS/GM

1



Dustin Byfuglien



2011-12



26



66



12



41



53



-8



0.80

2

Tobias Enstrom

2010-11

26

72

10

41

51

-10

0.71

3

Dustin Byfuglien

2010-11

25

81

20

33

53

-2

0.65

4

Tobias Enstrom

2009-10

25

82

6

44

50

-5

0.61

5

Tobias Enstrom

2011-12

27

62

6

26

32

6

0.52

6

Pavel Kubina

2009-10

32

76

6

32

38

0

0.50

7

Ron Hainsey

2008-09

27

81

6

33

39

-16

0.48

8

Jaroslav Modry

2005-06

34

79

7

31

38

-9

0.48

9

Tobias Enstrom

2007-08

23

82

5

33

38

-5

0.46

10

Zach Bogosian

2011-12

21

65

5

25

30

-3

0.46

11

Frantisek Kaberle

2003-04

30

67

3

26

29

2

0.43

12

Greg de Vries

2005-06

33

82

7

28

35

1

0.43

13

Yannick Tremblay

1999-00

24

75

10

21

31

-42

0.41

14

Frantisek Kaberle

2001-02

28

61

5

20

25

-11

0.41

15

Yannick Tremblay

2002-03

27

75

8

22

30

-27

0.40

16

Niclas Havelid

2005-06

32

82

4

28

32

9

0.39

17

Tobias Enstrom

2008-09

24

82

5

27

32

14

0.39

18

Yannick Tremblay

2001-02

26

66

9

15

24

-15

0.36

19

Frantisek Kaberle

2002-03

29

79

7

19

26

-19

0.33

20

Andy Sutton

2005-06

30

76

8

17

25

13

0.33

21

Ron Hainsey

2009-10

28

80

5

21

26

-6

0.33

22

Andy Sutton

2003-04

28

65

8

13

21

0

0.32

23

Steve Staios

2000-01

27

70

9

13

22

-23

0.31

24

Greg de Vries

2006-07

34

82

3

21

24

-3

0.29

25

Zach Bogosian

2009-10

19

81

10

13

23

-18

0.28

Buff already owns the top two point totals in franchise history and he has recorded two of the top three points per game numbers. His +/- numbers really aren’t that bad in comparison to his teammates either.

Other notes:

Until recently the Thrash really hadn’t received much production form their defensemen. Eight of the top ten seasons (PTS/GM) were from players who are currently with the team and a third of those totals were from last year. There will not be nearly as many familiar names when we look at forwards.

This table also offers some justification Ron Hainsey’s big money deal. Production from the back end was a long standing issue with this team. Hainsey was brought in to rectify that and he kinda did. The 39 points Hainsey put up in 2008-09 were a franchise record at the time, but the emergence of Toby and trade for Buff forced him into a different role.

Now, let’s take a look at the old time Jets career marks with Buff’s 2011-12 season in the mix.

RNK

Player

From

To

Lg

GP

G

A

PTS

+/-

1

Fredrik Olausson

1987

1994

NHL

496

86

249

335

-55

2

Dave Babych

1981

1986

NHL

390

73

248

321

-130

3

Randy Carlyle

1984

1993

NHL

564

80

226

306

-18

4

Dave Ellett

1985

1991

NHL

475

95

204

299

-44

5

Teppo Numminen

1989

1996

NHL

547

53

212

265

-26

6

Phil Housley

1991

1993

NHL

232

64

195

259

-32

7

Lars-Erik Sjoberg

1975

1980

WHA / NHL

374

32

196

228

122

8

Moe Mantha

1981

1992

NHL

318

31

125

156

-69

9

Barry Long

1977

1979

WHA / NHL

299

27

117

144

-41

10

Larry Hornung

1973

1978

WHA

292

28

111

139

-6

11

Mario Marois

1986

1992

NHL

255

17

116

133

-32

12

Tim Watters

1982

1988

NHL

438

21

101

122

14

13

Thommie Bergman

1975

1978

WHA

234

22

97

119

18

14

Mike Ford

1975

1979

WHA

179

28

79

107

91

15

Perry Miller

1975

1977

WHA

188

30

56

86

13

16

Ted Green

1976

1979

WHA

242

13

68

81

56

17

Freeman Asmundson

1973

1978

WHA

258

16

54

70

-2

18

Robert Picard

1984

1986

NHL

160

20

43

63

38

19

Don Spring

1981

1984

NHL

259

1

54

55

-58

20



Dustin Byfuglien



2012



2012



NHL



66



12



41



53



-8

21

Dave Manson

1994

1996

NHL

139

11

42

53

-22

22

Joe Zanussi

1973

1975

WHA

149

7

43

50

0

23

Stephane Quintal

1994

1995

NHL

124

14

35

49

-25

24

Igor Ulanov

1992

1995

NHL

176

5

43

48

-2

25

Heikki Riihiranta

1975

1977

WHA

187

10

38

48

-41

If all Jets’ history was amalgamated, Buff would have already worked his way into the top 20. At his current rate of production, it would only take 3 seasons to move into the top 10.

Other notes:

Post WHA, there aren’t very many pluses in the +/- column.

The all-time numbers for defensemen aren’t that far out of reach. Either Buff or Bogo could conceivably match Olausson’s 335 points if they stick around long enough.

…and the all-time Thrash / Jets career totals.

RNK

Player

From

To

GP

G

A

PTS

+/-

1

Tobias Enstrom

2008

2012

380

32

171

203

0

2

Yannick Tremblay

2000

2004

300

33

74

107

-103

3



Dustin Byfuglien



2011



2012



147



32



74



106



-10

4

Frantisek Kaberle

2000

2004

272

20

82

102

-30

5

Ron Hainsey

2009

2012

299

14

80

94

-10

6

Zach Bogosian

2009

2012

264

29

60

89

-37

7

Andy Sutton

2002

2007

273

21

66

87

11

8

Niclas Havelid

2006

2009

303

10

72

82

13

9

Greg de Vries

2006

2007

164

10

49

59

-2

10

Daniel Tjarnqvist

2002

2004

218

10

43

53

-46

11

Chris Tamer

2000

2004

339

12

38

50

-63

12

Garnet Exelby

2003

2009

357

6

40

46

-20

13

Johnny Oduya

2010

2012

172

5

34

39

-18

14

Pavel Kubina

2010

2010

76

6

32

38

0

15

Jaroslav Modry

2006

2006

79

7

31

38

-9

16

Steve McCarthy

2006

2008

117

12

21

33

-19

17

Jiri Slegr

2001

2002

71

6

21

27

-22

18

Gord Murphy

2000

2001

85

4

21

25

-37

19

Alexei Zhitnik

2007

2008

83

5

17

22

-4

20

Steve Staios

2001

2001

70

9

13

22

-23

21

Petr Buzek

2000

2002

77

5

14

19

-24

22

Darryl Shannon

2000

2000

49

5

13

18

-14

23

Mark Stuart

2011

2012

103

4

11

15

-12

24

Mathieu Schneider

2009

2009

44

4

11

15

-10

25

Shane Hnidy

2006

2007

138

5

10

15

16

Big Buff is already ranked third. This table further illustrates the long running ineptitude of the Atlanta blue liners. If management decides to move Toby at the deadline, Buff could very easily take over all of the career marks and he should be able to do it without signing another contract.

Other notes:

Toby owns pretty much every record and by the middle of next year the top four point getters will be Toby, Buff, Bogo and Hainsey.

Shane Hnidy still owns the franchise record for +/-.

Final Thoughts:

Buff had a beast of a season in 2012. It is hard to argue that it was one of the best in the history of Winnipeg hockey. Buff's year was quite clearly the most productive seasons in Alt/Jets 2.0 history. If Buff isn't in jail next year he will be shooting up the record books. Who's record book you put him in is up to you.

Which comparisons do you guys find more interesting?

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