RUMOR: Coveted defenseman on his way out of Winnipeg?

Tobias Enstrom didn’t have the year he, or the Winnipeg Jets, were hoping for this season, and that could see him playing elsewhere come October.

That’s not to say the 32-year-old Swedish defenseman had a terrible season, but his offensive numbers continue to drop year after year, he notched a career low 14 points (1 goal and 13 assists) this season.

Enstrom is a defensive-first blueliner, especially at this stage in his career, so a drop in scoring production is acceptable so long as he remains a responsible shutdown presence.

On the whole, Enstrom is still a valuable defensive asset. He has enough value that exposing him to the Vegas draft would make him a sure pick, and losing him for nothing is not appealing for an organization still looking to acquire pieces to bring the Jets back into the postseason.

Enstrom is under contract through the 2017-18 season with an annual cap hit of $5.75-million.

Enstrom is, like most defensive defensemen, probably underappreciated, but his defensive prowess shouldn’t be overlooked. If the Jets can find teams interested in Enstrom, they’ll likely try to make a move, but don’t expect them to give him away for nothing.

The Jets certainly won’t be worse for not moving Enstrom before next season begins.