Another day and another hypothetical trade that solves the Toronto Maple Leafs defensive issues.
These hypothetical trades are a ton of fun and although many of them are bullish, the Toronto Maple Leafs should seriously consider this one. Matt Dumba is a right-handed defenseman on a good contract for two more seasons and could really help the team’s blue-line.
Before we go into the trade, I want to talk about Dumba as a human-being first and hockey player second.
Last week, Dumba was the well-deserved recipient of the King Clancy Award. This trophy is awarded “to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.”
Throughout his professional career, Dumba has been committed to making the world a better place and has been an important figure in Minneapolis. Whether it was committing time and money to a charity called “Athletes Committed to Educating Students (ACES)” or helping others, Dumba has continued to make the world a better place.
Even though Dumba has been a victim of racism his entire life, he’s doing everything he can to educate others. Dumba, along with many other current and former NHL players, recently created the Hockey Diversity Alliance (HDA). This group is dedicated to providing resources and support with a vision “to eradicate systemic racism and intolerance in hockey.”
It’s one thing to say you’re going to do something and another to act on it. Dumba and the other members of the HDA are going to impact thousands of kids who will now fall in love with hockey. Not only will more youth be exposed to hockey, but they’ll be able to enjoy it without the pain of racism and bigotry, which is unfortunately what all HDA members endured growing up.
In an article on NHL.com by Cristina Ledra, here’s what Dumba said about the HDA.
"“I’m doing it for all the kids that have felt that loneliness and don’t know where to go when they’ve been through this. And we’re showing with the HDA that everything that we’ve experienced, that there’s other people that have gone through that stuff as well and you’re not alone in this and that’s why we’re fighting as hard as we are to kind of break down those barriers.”"
I could talk about how great Dumba is as an ambassador for hockey all day, but let’s get to the hypothetical trade that would bring him to Toronto.
Leafs Acquire Right-Handed Defenseman Dumba
The trade.
- Toronto Maple Leafs acquire: Matt Dumba ($6M)
- Minnesota Wild acquire: Andreas Johnsson ($3.4M), Alex Kerfoot ($3.5M)
The Wild need young-offensive help ASAP because two of their best forwards are 35-years-old or older (Eric Staal, Zach Parise).
Kerfoot would be a perfect third-line centre for the Wild, while Johnsson would be an upgrade on the first-line over Marcus Foligno. Minnesota desperately needs offensive support, so trading one defenseman for two forwards could be beneficial for both teams.
The Wild already have a number-one right-handed defenseman in Jared Spurgeon, which means they may not be keen on paying a second-pairing player $6 million. That money may be better spent on a few forwards, so Minnesota may look to move Dumba.
Within this trade, the Leafs would save $900K, which should be enough money to sign an aging free-agent to replace Kerfoot and Johnsson on the third line. Wayne Simmonds or Joe Thornton anyone?
Acquiring Dumba would instantly solve the Leafs right-side of their defense. Sure this trade would hurt the forward depth but Alexander Barabanov and Nick Robertson should be able to replace the goals scored by Johnsson and Kerfoot this year.
The Leafs need better defense and in order to do so, you have to make a splash. I can’t think of a better person or hockey player to acquire than Dumba.