According to The Athletic's Michael Russo - correspondent for the Minnesota Wild - GM Bill Guerin has no intention of retaining defenseman Matt Dumba after his contract expires at the end of the season. Dumba, drafted 7th overall in 2012, has been a mainstay on the Wild's blue-line since 2013, amassing 231 points in 550 games so far. With a cap-hit of $6 million, it could prove difficult to trade him without retaining a big chunk of his salary.
Still, Russo reports that even if Dumba takes a hometown discount, he will not be resigned. The reasoning behind the decision could be two-fold; on one hand, the Wild are severely inhibited cap-wise by the double buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. On the other, Dumba's name has been subject to trade rumors ever since Guerin took over as GM, and perhaps there is a disconnect between the player and management.
For all we know, it could be a little bit of both and/or other reasons. The bottom-line is, this is most likely Dumba's last season as a member of the Minnesota Wild.
If you were the GM of a contending team in need of defense, would you trade a first-round pick for Matt Dumba?
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