The Winnipeg Jets may not win many games this season, but they're slowly assembling the NHL's greatest tug-of-war and/or competitive eating team.
Joining the 286 pounds of Dustin Byfuglien on the Jets roster is the poster-boy for offseason heft (real or exaggerated for comedic purposes): Former San Jose Sharks center and frequent trending topic Kyle Wellwood.
(To the right is an exclusive digital recreation of the first on-ice meeting between Byfuglien, Wellwood and Nik Antropov at Jets camp. Not pictured: Evander Kane.)
On Thursday night, multiple sources confirmed the Jets have agreed to terms with centre Kyle Wellwood on a one-year, one-way deal worth $700,000. Wellwood, 28, has 68 goals and 173 points in 373 NHL games with the San Jose Sharks, Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Mr. Plank from Fear The Fin believes the Jets made a shrewd move here:
Although Wellwood isn't a high-profile goal scorer, potting a career-high 18 goals in 08-09 with the Vancouver Canucks, he should bring some needed offensive help to a team that failed to finish the year with a 60+ point player. Considering the second and third leading point scorers last season were defensemen (Byfuglien, Enstrom), adding as much help as they can get up front is a win, especially at a low short-term price.
We totally agree, if only because this signing combined with Byfuglien's fitness inspired a Natural Disasters Photoshop from Yakov Mironov. Although we are starting to question the sense of having any horizontal stripes on the Jets' sweaters.