Trade talk will likely continue to surround Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba. As the Wild look to navigate both the 2020-21 season and the impending NHL Expansion draft, Dumba is a player the Seattle Kraken might have interest in. Unfortunately for Dumba, buzz surrounding a potential future trade might be the least of his concerns.
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He spoke with Michael Russo of The Athletic about constant trade chatter and said that it’s easy to let it bother you, but that he’s learned to deal with it. He noted that because he has no desire to leave Minnesota, “At first you get worked up about it.” He added that he knows this is a business and that GM Bill Guerin needs to do what’s best for the team.
In the end, if he moves, he moves. If he doesn’t, he’ll be happy. He said, “For seven years now I’ve been on the block and I haven’t been moved yet. I think I’m good.”
Dumba Isn’t Just Dealing With Trade Rumors
Fair or not, Dumba being moved (if he is) may be the least of his problems when it comes to life as a professional hockey player. His name often comes up when discussions about race, society, government and other issues that are much bigger than hockey are addressed by those in hockey circles.
Dumba is a big proponent and advocate for the Black Lives Matter movement in the NHL. He was front and center last season during the NHL bubble when he gave an emotional speech, knelt during the anthem and raised his fist on the bench before a game. Clearly, he’s aware that there are issues in the world that are bigger than hockey and many of us were reminded of that quite clearly as the storm of Capitol Hill on Wednesday was in the hearts and minds of so many North Americans.
Dumba is aware of what it means to stand for injustice and fight for what he believes is right. That doesn’t mean the battle is easy. While speaking with Russo about trades, the talk turned to off-ice matters. He talked about what his life has been like since he gave that speech and kneeled and his story is chilling, if not a wake up call for a lot of people.
Russo quotes Dumba who gave an example of the reason he stands against racism. He said:
“I was trying to ship my car down to AZ this summer and the guy started saying some racist sh-t to me on the phone, saying that I should keep kneeling for my anthem. Didn’t ship my car down. That was a battle I was facing.” 2 of his apt valets found out & drove car to AZ
It was a whirlwind of emotion, of everything really. There’s going to be those haters, but I got too many good people around me, too many awesome people who support everything I’m doing and show me love and support.”
The Off-Ice Stuff Matters
There’s a lot going on this season and for hockey fans, who want to understand what life can be like for these players, it’s not just about the on-ice product.
As Dumba tries to help the Wild remain competitive during the 2020-21 season, he’ll likely do his best to keep focused on the game, but it would be understandable if there’s more going on that he’s weighing on a daily basis.
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