Rumor mill: Matt Dumba could sign for Arizona

This is the worst time of the year for field hockey and the National Hockey League, as there’s very little to talk about.

Transactions are few and far between(the last one took place on July 9, when Alex DeBrincat headed for Detroit), so rumours are fewer and farther between.

Generally speaking, these days, when there are rumours, they almost always concern San Jose Sharks defenceman Erik Karlsson, who really is the big unfinished business in the NHL.

They also often concerned one of the big free agents still on the market, Vladimir Tarasenko, but he finally signed with his new team, the Ottawa Senators, for one year at $5 million.

The Winnipeg Jets are also attracting attention with Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck looking to leave Winnipeg next summer, but there’s nothing concrete yet.

So that leaves us with a few more rumours here and there, including this one.

Matt Dumba in Arizona?

One of the last big free agents left on the market right now is 28-year-old defenseman Matt Dumba.

He’s still looking for a new contract with a new team after the Minnesota Wild failed to re-sign him.

Dumba is an offensive defenseman who has regressed greatly in recent years, culminating in a career-worst season in 2022-2023 with just 14 points (four goals and ten assists) in 79 games.

This is surely one of the reasons why Dumba still hasn’t found a buyer.

Teams don’t want to commit to a defenseman who’s regressing year after year.

That’s why recent rumours about Dumba suggest that the Arizona Coyotes could sign him.

As one of the only teams with the salary cap space to sign Dumba without a problem, the Coyotes could improve further by adding a veteran.

What’s more, the option the Coyotes are clearly interested in would be to sign Dumba on a one-year deal, with the possibility of trading him at the trade deadline.

With a roster like the Coyotes’, Dumba would have more room and freedom, and could clearly bounce back, giving him a nice value at the trade deadline, especially if the Coyotes withhold part of his salary.

In short, Dumba could very well end up signing a one-year contract with a value surely lower than his last contract of $6 million a year, in order to give himself a better chance of securing a medium/long-term contract next summer.

Stay tuned.

En Rafale

– Wow.

– Jamaica’s first-ever World Cup victory.

– Bad news for Canada.

– A case to watch.

– To wit.