Free agency for the NHL has pretty much settled and is essentially over at this point. The Tampa Bay Lightning added and lost quite a bit of pieces during the period.
However, there is a veteran defenseman that has yet to sign with a team. Matt Dumba remains on the board for teams to sign. The 29-year-old has spent his entire NHL career with the Minnesota Wild and hit the market this offseason.
During a career that began in 2013, Dumba has amassed 236 points (79 goals and 157 assists). He had seven straight seasons of 20+ points from 2015 until 2022. He also had a very good points total for a defenseman during the 2017-18 season getting 50 (14 goals and 36 assists).
Matt Dumba is still looking for a team as the offseason rolls on.
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) July 28, 2023
Would Tampa Bay be a good fit for the veteran defenseman? @TonyLuftman | @asgrimson | #GoBolts | #NHLTonight pic.twitter.com/eypmhX3DkL
However, the concern with Dumba is the 14 points (4 goals and 10 assists) he had last season. It is the lowest amount he has had in a season since the 2014-15 season. During the season, he even became a healthy scratch on a solid Wild blue line.
The good thing about Dumba’s game last season was his production on defense. It was high and arguably higher than the season before. In 2022-23, Dumba finished with 116 blocks and 104 hits.
The block total was the highest in a season since the 2017-18 year. As for the hits, he got the total to over 100 for the second straight season.
The Tampa Bay Lightning does have improved depth at defenseman. It was a position they were stretched thin on at certain points during the season.
However, the free-agent signing of Calvin de Haan helps the depth of Tampa Bay. Despite de Haan veteran presence, Carolina did not play him as frequently once the playoffs rolled around because of how stacked their defense is.
So, another defenseman would do the team some good, especially one that is experienced like Dumba. It would solidify the group and possibly boost the Lightning up for another Stanley Cup run. The team would also not have a lot of fears about attrition for the position group as younger players like Nick Perbix and Darren Raddysh are already significantly fresher bodies.