4 – Matt Dumba
Matt Dumba is by far the most prominent currently unsigned defensemen in the NHL. At age 28 and turning 29 later this month, he has and will continue to receive a great deal of interest from clubs across the league.
Dumba just completed a five-year contract with the Minnesota Wild that carried an average annual value of $6M. The Wild are the only NHL team that the 2012 seventh overall draft pick has ever known. This is the perfect opportunity for him to venture away and begin on a new path.
In Toronto, Dumba could quickly become a fan favourite. Fans will adore the blue liner’s fearless approach and endless energy. He would be an easy player the Leafs could market to fans and for them to rally behind.
Dumba is a player with some offensive upside who can skate and lay out his opponents with thundering hits. He can also blast the puck from the point, allowing him to quarterback his team’s powerplay.
It’s not all positives for Dumba, there are holes in his game. He did look inconsistent at times this past season. Offensively, he registered four goals and 10 assists in 79 contests, which was his lowest point total of his career (excluding the 13 games he played in 2013-14 where he had a goal and an assist).
Dumba was deployed more often in the defensive end. In fact, 53.9 – per cent of the face offs he participated in were in in the defensive zone. That’s because, unlike Klingberg, Dumba is able to protect his own end and make things difficult on opponents.