Where Will Matt Dumba Land?

Matt Dumba is one of the top free-agent defensemen left on the board. What are speculated to be some of his options?

The NHL's 2023 free-agent market has now been open for more than a month. While the pickings are slim, several notable players remain available to clubs seeking veteran help at affordable prices.

Among them is Matt Dumba, currently the top defenseman in the free-agent pool. The 29-year-old former Minnesota Wild completed a five-year contract with an average annual value of $6 million.

A 50-point scorer in 2017-18, Dumba's production dropped off since suffering a torn pectoral muscle the following season. Nevertheless, he remains a solid blueliner who can play big minutes and chip in offensively.

Media speculation linked Dumba to the Arizona Coyotes, San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks throughout July. Nevertheless, he enters August still unsigned.

San Jose Hockey Now's Sheng Peng noted the Sharks added devalued assets this summer that still have upside, such as Mackenzie Blackwood, Anthony Duclair and Filip Zadina. He included Dumba among the free agents he believes the Sharks should sign, but that might have to wait until the Sharks finally trade Erik Karlsson.

It's not that Dumba isn't a valuable player. The problem is he became a UFA during a summer with a flattened salary cap. Few teams can afford to pay out expensive multi-year contracts for free-agent talent.

Dumba could follow the lead of Vladimir Tarasenko, who recently signed a one-year, $5-million contract with the Ottawa Senators. That's below the $7.5-million AAV that Tarasenko earned on his previous deal. Dumba could agree on a one-year deal with an NHL team worth between $3.5 million and $4.5 million.

Like Tarasenko, Dumba could bet on a solid performance in 2023-24, leading to a more lucrative deal with another club in next summer's free-agent market when the cap is projected to rise by $4 million.