Ramsay confirms Byfuglien will return to defense

“Dustin Byfuglien will have a chance to play defense,” Ramsay told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I’ve been told he is a defenseman, he was a defenseman. That was his position and he likes it. He wants to be there. I will give him every opportunity to show us he can play defense. If he can do that, wonderful. That’s great.

"I look at our defense and I think it can be our strength, a strong point. If Buff can go in and be big and strong on defense, that would be awesome. If it doesn’t work, he’ll go up front. There is no reason we wouldn’t give him every good, solid chance to play the position and find out if he can.”

Byfuglien became a fixture in front of the opposing goaltender during the playoffs. He also scored 17 goals with 17 assists in 82 regular-season games with the Blackhawks.

But Ramsay said the move strengthens the Thrashers defense. It returns some size to a unit that lost Pavel Kubina to free agency. He said it also gives the team six solid blue-liners, an important factor in turning around a franchise that has missed the playoffs the past three seasons and has just one appearance in its 10-season history. The Thrashers were 25th in the NHL last season in goals against with a 3.05 per game average.

As camp begins next week, the top six defensemen are Zach Bogosian, Tobias Enstrom, Ron Hainsey, Johnny Oduya and the newly-acquired Brent Sopel and Byfuglien. That would mean players such as Boris Valabik, Freddy Meyer, Arturs Kulda, Jaime Sifers and Andrey Zubarev are in competition for one spot. Ramsay said he doesn’t intend to carry players on the roster that aren’t going to play on a regular basis.

“I think he’s more of a defenseman,” Ramsay said of Byfuglien, who has not reported early for voluntary workouts after the Stanley Cup run. “We already have people we think can play [defense]. That just makes it a little more difficult picking your team on the blue line. Sopel can play. Hainsey can play. Enstrom, Bogosian, Oduya, those guys I know. They can all play.

"Some of the young kids, just watching them fiddling around [in voluntary workouts], get around the ice very well, which is what we want to accomplish from our blue line. We have some pieces already. Rick has created some depth in this organization that we should be in pretty good shape on the blue line. Wouldn’t it be great if you looked at your team and said we are good on the blue line, people can’t pick on us. Get the puck out of your end and start getting up ice. ... That’s a huge advantage.”

Dudley, who was assistant general manager in Chicago before joining the Thrashers, said Byfuglien was moved to forward because the Blackhawks lacked size up front. Dudley and Ramsay agree Byfuglien is capable of scoring as a defender.

“He can score 15 goals as a defenseman,” Dudley said. “He’s got one of the hardest shots in the game.”

The move also plays into the up-tempo style Ramsay plans to implement. He encourages defensemen to join the offensive rush.

“We’ve got size, we’ve got quickness,” he added. “I think we can be really good on defense. That’s a pressure position and a huge part of what’s going to turn this team around and make it go forward is the fact that we are going to be able to get the puck, move it up the ice. They are going to join rushes and we are going to get some offense from the blue line. I like the look of it, but you have to get into playing games before you really see how these things work.”