Despite being in a playoff spot Bill Guerin is discussing trading one of his best players
It's no secret that the Edmonton Oilers and Ottawa Senators have been actively looking for a defenseman all season long. Both teams have struggled to find consistency on the back end and allow a lot of goals against. NHL Insider Darren Dreger reports that both Edmonton and Ottawa have had discussion with Minnesota about defenseman Matt Dumba. Dumba is currently in the last year of his contract that pays him six million per season. It is highly unlikely, that Dumba signs an extension with Minnesota due to their limited cap space. Recall the franchise still has big money owed to Ryan Suter and Zach Parise on the books.
Dreger brings up in interesting point with Dumba. He is a free agent at the end of the year and Minnesota will get nothing in return if he finishes the season with them. However, Minnesota is playing pretty well in the Western Conference, and they currently sit in third place in the division. Trading away a key defenseman like Dumba could threaten their playoff chances.
Minnesota will have to think carefully about what to do in this situation before the trade deadline approaches. If they get a good return for Dumba including some future assets, it might be worth the risk of trading him anyway. If Dumba is on the market, he will continue to draw interest from many teams. Perhaps Minnesota will get an offer they can't refuse. In forty games played this season, Dumba four goals and seven assists. This is Dumba's tenth consecutive season with the Wild.
| POLL | ||
Where will Matt Dumba end up? | ||
| Edmonton Oilers | 26 | 21.8 % |
| Ottawa Senators | 29 | 24.4 % |
| He'll stay in Minnesota | 34 | 28.6 % |
| Somewhere else | 30 | 25.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
