The Buffalo Sabres will either sign or trade for a top four defenseman early in the new league year, and Matt Dumba could be the guy.
Despite the Buffalo Sabres coming so close to the playoffs this season, they were among the least physical teams last year, and that needs to change if they plan on not only making the playoffs, but also embarking on a deep playoff run. One intriguing player they could sign to help them in that cause is Minnesota Wild defenseman, Mathew Dumba.
Dumba will without a doubt be a hot commodity in the free agent market this offseason, but the Sabres fortunately have the edge over other NHL teams to sign him. Plus, he would be a good fit. Here are three reasons why this is the case.
Why the Buffalo Sabres could sign Dumba
1 – They can afford him
One look at Cap Friendly shows you just what kind of financial shape the Buffalo Sabres are in. Their projected cap space is nearly $19.5 million, and they only have five pending free agents on the current roster (excluding AHL players).
This will let Kevyn Adams make a big signing for a top four blueliner, and have more than enough cash left over to extend Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power. In short, the Blue and Gold are in a win-win situation here.
2 – Age
While Dumba would be an older player on what will once again be one of the league’s youngest rosters, he will only be 29 when October 2023 rolls around. This shows us that the Sabres can sign Dumba to a long-term contract for say, five years, to throw a number out there, and Dumba would only be 33 when his contract expires.
Such a move fits perfectly into the Sabres plans as they won’t look to spend so much money on an aging player. As for someone middle aged in hockey years like Dumba, however, it’s a different story, as he’s not too old to be a temporary fixture, but he’s also old enough to provide another layer of leadership.
3 – Dumba complements Power
Most importantly, Dumba and Power have complementary styles, as the former will be the physical piece of the second pairing while Power continues to develop a two-way game. This doesn’t mean Dumba won’t surprise us, though, as he broke out for 34 points in 2016-17, before following it up with a 50-point season the following year.
Overall, however, Dumba will play more of that stay at home role on the Buffalo Sabres. He’s also shown he can consistently play top four minutes, and can log triple digits in hits and blocks, respectively. The latter is something the Blue and Gold sorely need on that second line.
Source: SCREEN SHOTS: PATRICK ROY, CALGARY FLAMES, MATT DUMBA AND BUFFALO SABRES by Adam Proteau, TheHockeyNews.com
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)