Is Dustin Byfuglien sustainable?

[Mater]

OK, no doubt he is a talented guy. But do you think he will continue to play and score at this rate of the years?

The reason I ask is Wideman and Myers both have had stellar seasons but seem to have come back down to reality?

[ericdaoust]

I believe he will slow down at some point. Point-per-game dmen are so rare. It's a favorable situation next to Enstrom and he did catch some people by surprise. Let's see how long the magic continues.

[dyzfunctioned]

The bigger question for me is not if he'll maintain it - but if he does maintain it, what can we expect from his next year?

[arctic_rogue]

Byfuglien is only 25 and still has a lot of very good hockey left in him. I think it is possible that he could sustain this pace this year. I don't think I would draft him with the expectation of a point per game though. I would draft him as a 55-60 point defenseman and be very happy with that. If someone wanted to take him as a point-per-game defenseman, I think I would be more than happy to let them take that risk.

[ericdaoust]

Byfuglien is only 25 and still has a lot of very good hockey left in him. I think it is possible that he could sustain this pace this year. I don't think I would draft him with the expectation of a point per game though. I would draft him as a 55-60 point defenseman and be very happy with that. If someone wanted to take him as a point-per-game defenseman, I think I would be more than happy to let them take that risk.

That's a good point and I should have been more clear in my original post. It depends what the thread author means by sustainable. Asking for a point a game is a tall task even if you own Mike Green. But Buffy is probably a safe 50-60 points with sick upside moving forward.

[fungchen3]

Byfuglien is a rover and Atlanta is looking to entertain fans. Because of this, Buff will shine and is fantasy gold right now. As long as he stays with the Thrashers and remains listed as a defenseman he should put up anywhere from 55-75 points.

[Bomm Bastic]

Byfuglien is a rover and Atlanta is looking to entertain fans. Because of this, Buff will shine and is fantasy gold right now. As long as he stays with the Thrashers and remains listed as a defenseman he should put up anywhere from 55-75 points.

That about nailed it, fungchen.

[arctic_rogue]

Would you draft him over Green/Doughty/Keith/Letang (I know he doesn't really belong, but I wanted to put someone on my team in there! )

[Bomm Bastic]

In a limited keeper w/ your scoring cats I'd rather have Doughty (long term). But I would be so bold as to say I'd take Buff over the others. But that's with your scoring cats and the PIMs are a big part of that.

Buff's only risk is getting moved from atlanta, and I just don't see that happening anytime soon.

[arctic_rogue]

Yeah, the PIMs are huge. I would have a hard time drafting him with the expectation of 75 pts though.

[Bomm Bastic]

Yeah, the PIMs are huge. I would have a hard time drafting him with the expectation of 75 pts though.

Well, 75 is a bit much, agreed.

[dmvincent]

Yeah, the PIMs are huge. I would have a hard time drafting him with the expectation of 75 pts though.

Hard to believe he has moved into this class, but he he has. He's passed Danny Boyle, Lidstrom, Weber and a bunch of others. I remember when the Blackhawks traded him and he said and I quote "It's not everyday someone puts a stick in your ass, but I have to go to my new team now"... Something like that lol. Buff is just jokes man, he's a freggin rockstar, with the Thrashers in the next few years you have to like what he has around him.

[Bomm Bastic]

Hard to believe he has moved into this class, but he he has. He's passed Danny Boyle, Lidstrom, Weber and a bunch of others. I remember when the Blackhawks traded him and he said and I quote "It's not everyday someone puts a stick in your ass, but I have to go to my new team now"... Something like that lol. Buff is just jokes man, he's a freggin rockstar, with the Thrashers in the next few years you have to like what he has around him.

In arctic's league I think he's in that class. Points -only, I'm not there yet.

Close, but....

[ericdaoust]

What we know is he's one outstanding hockey player. He is an impact player at both forward and defense. Sure his numbers as a winger were not overwhelming, but few can argue how effective he was at helping the Hawks win games. And now as a dman he's a fantasy hockey god.

[TK12555]

What we know is he's one outstanding hockey player. He is an impact player at both forward and defense. Sure his numbers as a winger were not overwhelming, but few can argue how effective he was at helping the Hawks win games. And now as a dman he's a fantasy hockey god.

Essentially, he's that. He became an very average fantasy player to a top commodity defenseman, being the main centerpiece in trades for people like Staal and Getzlaf. If in july you told me that a deal would be made that sent Getzlaf and a scrub for Buff and an average guy, I'd laugh at you. But he's huge, and will be a great fantasy player for years to come.