Less than 12 hours removed from scoring his second goal as an Anaheim Duck, defenseman Brian Dumoulin is no longer a member of the organization.

Now a member of the New Jersey Devils after a Thursday morning trade, Dumoulin was acquired by the Devils in exchange for a conditional 2025 second-round pick and prospect Herman Träff. The Ducks also retained 50 percent of Dumoulin’s remaining contract. They will receive the better pick between the Winnipeg Jets and the Edmonton Oilers.

It’s a shrewd bit of work by Ducks general manager Pat  Verbeek, who acquired Dumoulin last summer from the Seattle Kraken for a 2026 fourth-round pick. Not only did he procure more value than he gave up initially for Dumoulin, but he also recovered a second-round pick to replace the one given up in the Cutter Gauthier-Jamie Drysdale trade.

Dumoulin fit like a glove into head coach Greg Cronin’s lineup and added an extra layer of experience and veteran leadership behind Radko Gudas and, at the time, Cam Fowler. With the departure of Fowler and the addition of Jacob Trouba in separate deals, Cronin leaned on Dumoulin even more.

Decision Time for the Ducks: The Brian Dumoulin Conundrum at the Trade Deadline After striking out on the first day of free agency in the 2024 offseason in which Anaheim Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek stated his desire to add a top-six right-shot forward and a top-four right-shot defenseman, he pivoted on July 2, when he acquired veteran two-time Stanley Cup winning defenseman Brian Dumoulin from the Seattle Kraken in exchange for a fourth-round pick.

“Whatever happens with Brian Dumoulin, I have no control over it,” Cronin said on Feb. 27. “I value him every game that he’s here. If he’s here in the long run, happy days. If he’s not, I have no control over it. So, at the end of the day, we’re working with everybody to try and make the playoffs and that’s what I can control. I totally respect and I’m totally supportive of what Pat wants to do. (Trades) aren’t my role here.

“(Dumoulin’s) been terrific. The guy’s won two Cups. You can’t say enough about him and Trouba and Gudas. If you were to ask me the impact from the team from last year to this year, I think the fact that you have Dumo—who’s been here all year—and then you add Trouba to the mix, they’re an extension of the coaching staff because of their experiences. When young kids have those personalities around them, I just think it gives them an added layer of confidence and stability.”

The departure of Dumoulin opens up a spot in the lineup, which Olen Zellweger will presumably slide into. Zellweger has been affected the most by a defensive rotation implemented by Cronin which saw Zellweger and Pavel Mintyukov taking turns in the lineup. Zellweger recently served as healthy scratch for the fifth consecutive game on Wednesday.

“Brian was good for us both on and off the ice, and we wish him well in New Jersey,” Verbeek said in a team-released statement. “This wasn’t an easy decision for us. We do feel this allows more opportunity for our young defensemen, who have proven they can play and succeed at the NHL level.”

Träff, the prospect that the Ducks acquired in the Dumoulin deal, was drafted 91st overall in the 2024 NHL Draft. He is currently playing for HV71 in the SHL and has seven points in 25 games. He played for Sweden at the 2025 World Juniors, where he scored two goals.

Elite Prospects describes Träff as a pacy and intense forechecker who ‘hits and works to get the puck back.’

And he takes the puck to the net every chance he gets. When in doubt, he bets on his size and strength and mobility. Not only is he already fast for a 6-foot-3 player, but he hits most of the right notes in his posture. His knees bend at the right angle and advance past his toes and his back conserves the appropriate angle with the ice.

- Elite Prospects’ NHL Draft 2024 blurb on Herman Träff

At 6-foot-3, Träff combines size with pace, a naturally attractive combination of attributes to scouts and managers across the league. While there are concerns about his playmaking ability, he could carve out a role alongside more puck-dominant players in a complementary role.

In what appears to be a seller’s market, Verbeek got his biggest hit of business done the day before the trade deadline.