According to Tom Gulitti of NHL.com, the Minnesota Wild have officially removed Matt Dumba from the NHL trade market. And, while they might field calls on the defenseman should a team come and offer something of real value, Wild general manage Bill Guerin is not shopping the player.
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Despite rumors Dumba might be moved this offseason, Guerin made it clear in comments that he’s not actively trying to trade Dumba. He said:
I’m prepared to start the season with him, and we really like that. He’s a good young player. He’s got good energy. I love his competitiveness. Our defensive corps, I’ll put them up against anybody’s.
That he specified “prepared to” leaves the door open for a move down the road if something is presented to the Wild that is hard to turn down. That said, the key news here is not to expect a deal in the immediate future.
The Wild have Dumba, Jonas Brodin, Ryan Suter, and Jared Spurgeon listed as their top four and at a price point of $25.3 million, it’s an expensive but very useful blue line corps. Splitting up that group doesn’t make a lot of sense considering the return on a trade would likely be less-than desirable.
Dumba has three seasons left on a five-year, $30 million contract (average annual value $6 million). The 26-year-old scored 24 points (six goals, 18 assists) in 69 games last season. He added one assist in four postseason games.
When Should Trade Talk Heat Up Again on Dumba?
The key for the Wild will navigating the expansion draft and the entry of the Seattle Kraken into the NHL as the league’s 32nd team in 2021. If Dumba is not moved, the Wild will either have to leave Dumba exposed or go the eight skaters protection route.
The Wild have done creative things in the past to protect Dumba. When the Vegas Golden Knights were added to the league, the Wild made a deal that saw Vegas select Erik Haula. For selecting Haula instead of Dumba, the Wild traded Alex Tuch to Vegas for a third-round pick. Considering Tuch has become a key contributor for Vegas, as the Wild well know, these types of deals come with risks.
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