NHL Rumors: Wild Defenseman to be Shopped

Due to the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyout penalties, the Minnesota Wild are in cap hell and will lose players because of it. As a result, it is almost impossible for them to sign Matt Dumba to an extension, so Minnesota may have no choice but to trade the 28-year-old instead of losing him for nothing via free agency. This is especially true if their bad start to the season becomes the norm for them in 2022-23.

Speaking of their bad start, perhaps they could trade Dumba for another NHL talent to switch things up? They have been linked to Coyotes star Jakob Chychrun, so maybe adding Dumba along with other quality assets could get it done. Even though that's a long shot, moving Dumba for anything of value seems like the best course of action at this juncture. They simply cannot afford to lose him for nothing given their long-term salary cap trouble.

Dumba is a top-four, right-handed defenseman, so he certainly has trade value. Expect him to be a quality rental at the deadline but especially if the Wild are not among the guaranteed contenders by then. Right now, they surely aren't playing like one.

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