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Rough Hit in Ducks-Knights
ST PAUL, MN - APRIL 21: Matt Dumba #24 of the Minnesota Wild warms up before Game Three of the First Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xcel Energy Center on April 21, 2023 in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images)
ST PAUL, MN - APRIL 21: Matt Dumba #24 of the Minnesota Wild warms up before Game Three of the First Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Xcel Energy Center on April 21, 2023 in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images)Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images

Matt Dumba's Veteran Leadership Would Give Coyotes Playoff Potential Amid NHL Rumors

Erik BeastonJul 5, 2023

Matt Dumba is not a name that is going to wow anyone this offseason but the Arizona Coyotes have interest in signing the free agent defenseman and adding much-needed veteran experience to their otherwise young roster, per Olivier Neven of Yahoo Sports.

Dumba is not a player that lights up the goal post and his stat line is hardly the stuff of a star, but he is a solid defensive presence with 10 years of experience, all with Minnesota.

His numbers were down significantly in 2022-23 but two of the four goals he scored in 79 appearances with the Wild were game-winners, proving he had a knack for waiting until the moment was most significant to have an impact from a scoring perspective.

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The Coyotes, for their youth and upside, ranked in the bottom-half of the NHL in goals against with 3.6 per game in 2022-23.

They are a team that could benefit from the depth and knowledge that Dumba brings to the ice, particularly after he helped Minnesota rank sixth in goals against with a full score less than Arizona.

That he will be affordable for his position given the fall off in stats from 2021-22 only helps enhance the Coyotes desire to bring him in.

Dumba is unlikely to crack a starting lineup that includes young players like Sean Durzi and JJ Moser, but his influence will be felt even in the tone he sets.

He notoriously delivered a rattling hit on Dallas' Joe Pavelski, just barely avoiding a major penalty despite the offensive star entering concussion protocol as a result.

No one advocates for player injury by any stretch. There is, though, value in setting a tone through physicality and Dumba has proven over time that is not something he is shy about establishing.

His ability to shift the feel of a game, a history of scoring game-winners and the experience in big-time situations like the postseason makes him a value pickup beyond the traditional stats.

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