After trading fan favorite Eric Staal on Wednesday, the next player who could be moved by General Manager Bill Guerin could be defenseman Matt Dumba.
According to numerous reports, Dumba has been the focus of trade calls to Guerin in recent days. The idea that Dumba is an obvious trade candidate is due to the fact that teams rarely protect four defensemen in an expansion draft year, and with Jonas Brodin signing a monster contract earlier this week and Jared Spurgeon and Ryan Suter owning no-move clauses in their contracts, Dumba’s future is clouded.
Four teams mentioned by The Athletic’s Michael Russo as possible suitors are Winnipeg, Vancouver, Toronto and Tampa Bay.
In return, the Wild would need a top-six center, according to TSN”s Pierre LeBrun.
On TSN’s “Insider Trading” show, Pierre LeBrun and Darren Dreger talked extensively about the Wild. Dreger said Guerin is “on the hunt for a centerman,” while LeBrun said the Wild are likely “are far from done” making moves.
“Teams are calling Minnesota on Dumba already,” said LeBrun. “The Wild would like a top-six center back and that was before they traded Eric Staal, so that need is pretty pressing now.”
LeBrun noted that Minnesota could wait to trade Dumba until next year.
“Matt’s a heck of a player. Who wouldn’t want Matt Dumba?” Guerin said Wednesday, according to Russo. “But we have him right now, and we’re happy with that. We’ll leave it at that.”
