There's a connection between Fletcher and this Wild star defenseman
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O. EngMay 31, 2022 (1:43 PM)
In the newest edition of the BrotherlyPuck, Dan Esche looks at the Flyers defence and surprisingly, offers Matt Dumba as a potential solution to our woes.
Knowing well that Ryan Ellis' future is all but certain and having Ristolainen as your only assured rock on right defence next season, looking to add Dumba to fill out that third defenseman pairing is something Chuck Fletcher should look into.
Esche writes,
"They're going to have to address the hole from outside the organization with some kind of legitimacy, considering they don't have any natural righties NHL ready in the system."
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Knowing this, Chuck Fletcher has proven on multiple occasions that he has a soft spot with the Wild and the players he helped select. Dumba is one of them taken first round in 2012.
That being said, it's a deal that makes sense for the Wild as well.
"The buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter will cost them $12.7 million in dead space next season, and a whopping $14.7 million for two years after that. They may have to cut costs on their current roster just to stay compliant next season, and that's where Chuck Fletcher can swoop in and find a fix."
Dumba is 28 and will be an UFA by the end of the season. He currently makes 6 million per year but judged on his recent history of injury, he may very well be asking for less come next summer.
Imagine this:
Yes Dumba is better than a third pairing player and yes this defensive unit will be expensive. But as Esche says, the team cannot affort to cheap out on defence. The best way to nurture a youngster like York is to have a player like Dumba beside him too.
"He'd be about as good as it's going to get for the Flyers on the right side of the defense, properly addressing a gaping hole that doomed them during the 2021-22 campaign."
Let's see how Fletcher will play his cards.
Credit: Brotherlypuck
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