Should the Blackhawks trade for this high-end defenseman?
It's been rumored that the Wild are looking to trade out Matt Dumba after having him for nine seasons. He has playoff experience and is a good offensive defenseman. With this high-end player on the market, should the Blackhawks invest in him?
The Hawks lack a leader for the up-and-coming defensemen; players like Calvin de Haan, Erik Gustafsson and Jake McCabe won't cut it as mentors. If the Blackhawks were to acquire Dumba, he could fill that role. If the team invests in him and cuts off the other older players, there will still be plenty of room for rookies and prospects.
There are two problems when it comes to Dumba, the top one being the expense. His last contract was worth 30 million dollars for five years with a six million dollar cap hit, and it's likely that his asking price could be the same or higher. With Seth Jones's contract already being 76 million dollars, spending more money on someone in a similar position as Jones seems almost redundant.
Another issue with Dumba could be his physical condition. We learned that he played through the playoff series against the St. Louis Blues with a dislocated rib, broken rib and a punctured lung. These injuries that went untreated since April 5 according to Dumba could negatively affect how he performs in the future.
Although having someone like Dumba would be nice for the sake of mentoring the younger defensemen, the asking price isn't worth it. If the Blackhawks find a good coach to help the rookies along, then maybe they can make it by with just Jones and maybe Connor Murphy in the future.
To view Matt Dumba's recent highlights & more
| POLL | ||
Should the Blackhawks try to acquire Matt Dumba? | ||
| Yes! | 59 | 22.4 % |
| No... | 147 | 55.9 % |
| If it helps the rebuild then maybe. | 57 | 21.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
