Minnesota Wild Willing to Move Matt Dumba

That Jason Zucker from the Minnesota Wild is likely a trade piece coming out of the organization isn’t terribly surprising news. The next name that just became public as part of trade talks is.

According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, GM of the Minnesota Wild, Bill Geurin, has told other NHL organizations they are open for business and one of the big names on the block is a former 50-point defenseman named Matt Dumba.

Dreger said:

Another team to watch is the Minnesota Wild. I’m told that Bill Guerin is open for business, and part of the trade bait list could include veteran defenseman Mathew Dumba.

The Wild Have Struggled

The Minnesota Wild didn’t get off to a hot start but when things seemed bleak, the team went on a run and put themselves back into the playoff conversation. Unfortunately, with losses in six of their last seven games and now eight points back, the playoffs don’t seem likely.

The Wild aren’t exactly sure what they are either. Their new GM has yet to make any big moves or put his stamp on the franchise. That’s fairly rare. A number of insiders believe there are multiple moves coming.

Related: Oilers and Flames Pursuing Similar Top-Six Trade Targets

Dumba Has Struggled Too

While the Wild work to figure out their long-term plans, there are questions about where Dumba fits into them. At one time, he was a workhorse for the Wild but an injured pectoral muscle has affected his ability to get back to that level.

The Wild also invested a good chunk of money in Jared Spuregon and have Ryan Suter already making serious money. $21 million tied up in three d-men might not make as much sense for the Wild as investing the $6 million in Dumba that he’ll make until 2023.

And, because Dumba is not a rental, what the Wild ask for him in trade could be interesting while taking some interested parties out the conversation.

Related: The Canucks Should Extend Jacob Markstrom: It’s a No-Brainer