The Lightning reportedly have a new defenseman on their radar.
The Lightning reportedly have a new defenseman on their radar.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are gearing up for what should be a busy trade deadline for them. With Mikhail Sergachev out indefinitely, they desperately need to add at least one defenseman for their push to earn a playoff spot. Because of this, they have been linked to multiple defensemen like Noah Hanifin, Sean Walker, Ilya Lyubushkin, and Chris Tanev.
Yet, it now appears that they have a new defenseman on their radar. According to The Fourth Period, the Lightning are one of three teams currently linked to Arizona Coyotes defenseman Matt Dumba. The two other clubs TFP connected to the right-shot defenseman are the Toronto Maple Leafs and Dallas Stars.
After being competitive for much of this season, the Coyotes have fallen off in recent weeks, as they have lost 10 straight games. Due to this, they are now 10 points behind the St. Louis Blues for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference. Thus, they will be sellers, and Dumba is expected to be dealt because of his pending UFA status.
Dumba, 29, is having a bit of a tough year with the Coyotes, posting just four goals and nine points in 51 games. While his offense is down this season, he would still be a solid addition to the Lightning's defense. This is because he can handle playing top-four minutes, kill penalties, and also plays a heavy game, which his 131 hits this campaign show.
With that, being moved to Tampa Bay could allow Dumba to get his offense back up. This is because the Lightning have many offensive weapons to work with, like Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, Steven Stamkos, and Brandon Hagel.
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