The Pittsburgh Penguins have brought in multiple new players this off-season. One of them is defenseman Matt Dumba, as the Penguins acquired him and a 2028 second-round pick from the Dallas Stars in exchange for Vladislav Kolyachonok.
With this move, the Penguins have added a veteran defenseman who has had past success in Dumba. The Penguins were also to land the second-round pick they received because the Stars needed to clear up cap space, and Pittsburgh took on Dumba's full $3.75 million cap hit.
While the primary reason the Penguins made this move was to get the second-rounder, the possibility of Dumba being a solid addition to Pittsburgh's blueline should not be ruled out. Although expecting him to regain his previous top-four form may be a big ask, he certainly could end up being a nice pickup for the Penguins' bottom pairing and penalty kill.
In 63 games this past season with the Stars, Dumba recorded one goal, nine assists, 10 points, 60 penalty minutes, and 70 hits. While it was another quiet offensive season for Dumba, he provided some bite on the Stars' blueline, and he should give the Penguins plenty of grit next season, too. This is especially so when noting that Dumba had a career-high 202 hits in 2023-24 split between the Arizona Coyotes and Tampa Bay Lightning.
Furthermore, if Dumba bounces back a bit next season, he could end up becoming a decent trade chip for the Penguins at the 2026 NHL trade deadline. There is no question that playoff teams love to add hard-nosed right-shot defenseman, so he could end up being a popular rental target for contenders if the Penguins are once again sellers next season.
Nevertheless, there is truly no harm in the Penguins taking on Dumba's contract for the season, especially with him only signed for one more year. It will be fascinating to see what kind of campaign he can put together for the Penguins from here.
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