Why Matt Dumba Could Be the Penguins' Most Underrated Offseason Addition

Even though the Pittsburgh Penguins aren't expected to challenge for the playoffs this year, GM Kyle Dubas brought in multiple new faces to try and make an impact.

Veteran defenseman Matt Dumba is one of the new players that they're hoping can carve out a role with the club.

Dubas acquired Dumba with a 2nd round pick in the 2028 NHL Entry Draft in exchange for Vladislav Kolyachonok and has 737 total games of NHL experience. He has 258 points (84G, 174A) in 737 games.

Matt Dumba is now 31, and while many would say that his best years are in the rear view mirror, there's still reason to believe that he can play an effective role on the Penguins in a lower pressure situation.

Dumba played in 53 games with the Dallas Stars last year and logged 15:18 of ice time per game, which was only a year after he averaged nearly 19 minutes of ice time per game split between the Arizona Coyotes and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Not only can Dumba play between 15 and 20 minutes per night, but he also remains a physical player who never shies away from doling out big hits.

Thanks to the new-look Penguins coaching staff, Dumba is going to want to make a good 1st impression on them as quickly as possible, and could even end up seeing more playing time if Pittsburgh were finally able to get their wish and move fellow veteran defenseman Erik Karlsson out of town

There is also the potential that if Dumba has a good showing in Pittsburgh, he could be flipped at the Trade Deadline as he was in 2024 from Arizona to Tampa Bay. He has a year left on his contract with an AAV (average annual value) of $3,750,000.