Veteran Arizona Coyotes defenseman Matt Dumba could make a big difference for a Stanley Cup contender if he's moved prior to the March 8 NHL Trade Deadline.
The Coyotes got off to a good start to this season, staying in the playoff race into January despite low expectations for this year's group.
That all fell apart horribly beginning in late January, when the Coyotes dropped a 6-2 decision to the Florida Panthers on the 24th. They have not won a single game since, dropping to 23-29-5 overall for the season and falling out of the playoff race entirely.
That puts this organization in a familiar place. The team is underperforming; they're going to be sellers at the trade deadline, and significant uncertainty over their future in Arizona abounds.
Arizona's status as sellers means that Dumba could be heading to a contending team, and the dynamic veteran defenseman could have quite the market for his services as several contending teams are in need of a quality right-handed defender.
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NHL Trade Deadline: Matt Dumba
Contract Situation: Expires after this season at a $3.9 million cap hit
Season Stats: 4 goals, 5 assists for 9 points in 53 games played
Possible Destinations: Tampa Bay, Toronto, Boston, Colorado, Edmonton
Dumba is struggling this season in his first year with the Coyotes, which is the first year he's played away from the Minnesota Wild, who drafted him in 2012 with the 7th overall pick in the draft.
The 29-year-old had a poor season from a production standpoint then, too, but given his age it's reasonable to assume that he still has several good years of play left in him.
Though his career has been plagued by injuries and durability concerns, Dumba is a uniquely dynamic player when he is at his best. His ability to rush the puck may not be elite, but it's very good and it pairs nicely with a booming shot and his trademark physicality on the defensive end.
Dumba's underlying numbers have taken a hit this season with the Coyotes, but he put up 5-on-5 expected goals for shares of over 52 percent in his last two years in Minnesota. The hit has come on the defensive side this year, with his xGA/60 going from what was a very usual 2.12 last year to a career-high 2.51 this year.
That's probably more due to structural weaknesses that exist on the Coyotes more than it is his own decline, though it's fair to wonder if he has lost some of his upside for offensive production.
Several Eastern Conference teams should be picking up the phone to ask about his availability, and it would feel so right for either Tampa Bay or Boston to pluck Dumba from the Coyotes, put him in a solid defensive infrastructure and reap serious rewards for the acquisition.
Toronto and Edmonton make plenty of sense as well, but something about the fit with either the Lightning or Bruins makes too much sense.
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