via Bob McKenzie tweets,

As just reported on @NBCSN, Dustin Byfuglien recently underwent ankle surgery to take care of unresolved issues from the high-ankle sprain he suffered late last season. What that means for his future and whether it could, in time, lead to his return to WPG remains to be seen.

It’s certainly premature to say Byfuglien will return to active duty in the NHL this season, but there is a sense if he does feel healthy again, he may be inclined to return at some point.

It’s believed one of the biggest factors why Byfuglien opted not to play this season is because his ankle was so troublesome. That begs the question, why not report to WPG training camp, go on injured reserve, rehab it or get surgery or whatever and get paid to do so?

Elliotte Friedman tweet,

On Byfuglien: surgery was last week. Recovery expected to take until the New Year — and we’ll see what he decides. This adds an extra layer around his contract situation, too, because he can argue he deserves to be paid while recovering from a legitimate injury.