New York Islanders Trade Target Minnesota Wild’s Mat Dumba

If New York Islanders GM Garth Snow is serious about turning this team into a Stanley Cup contender, he should look to trade for Minnesota Wild’s Mat Dumba. He won’t bring the Cup to Long Island on his own, but it’s a good and smart start.

We know the New York Islanders need to sure up the blue line next season. The Islanders top six forwards were top notch this season. With 264 goals for, they ranked eighth in terms of offense in the league. It’s the defensive end that let them down, bleeding 296 goals against good for dead last in the league.

The offseason goal is clear, bring in a top-four defender and a goaltender. Getting the best talent to fill either position isn’t going to be easy. But then again, Garth’s job isn’t supposed to be easy.

If he’s committed to trying to bring in the best quality players for next season going after Minnesota Wild’s

Mathew Dumba

is a perfect place to start.

Why Target Mat Dumba?

Just looking at his stat sheet will tell you that Mat Dumba is a 50 point scorer this season. Fifty points from the blue line is impressive. It’s no Erik Karlsson, but it’s not too far off either.

He’d rank first in terms of defensive scoring on the Islanders, and with a +15 rating, we wouldn’t have to field questions about his quality as a defender. I can keep going on why Dumba is a good player, but those at Hockey Wildness did a pretty good job earlier this month.

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Dumba is the exact type of defender the New York Islanders need to be targeting to improve their team going into 2018-19.

So I’ve shown his quality and why he deserves to be targeted, but if he’s this good, why does he move? Because, as it stands, the Minnesota Wild have $137,868 worth of cap space.

Cap Issues

Putting it simply, the Minnesota Wild have cap issues and will have cap issues. And Mat Dumba is an RFA at the end of the season.

Dumba isn’t the only important player that the Minnesota Wild have to sign going into 2018-19. They also have 64 point RFA forward Jason Zucker to extend in the offseason. Depending on how much the cap goes up in 2018-19, the Wild might not have the money to sign both.

The Islanders could make a compelling package of for the RFA. They have two lottery-bound picks in this year’s draft and a ton of good young defensive prospects that are cheap. Players like David Quenneville, Mitchell Vande Sompel, and Sebastian Aho.

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If the Wild are going to move either it’s going to be Dumba. With Ryan Suter and Jared Spurgeon on the back end the Wild have their top two guys, they’ll need goals going forward from younger guys like the 26-year-old Zucker as their offense is dependent on players on the wrong side of 30.