Winnipeg Jets mentioned as a team with interest in defenceman Matt Dumba of the Wild

Might Friendly Manitoba and Minnesota Nice be getting ready to toss away their geographic and playoff rivalry in order to consummate a trade?  Doesn’t seem very likely but here is why this is in the news.

On yesterday’s Insider Trading segment on TSN host Gino Reda asked the panel about the Minnesota Wild’s Matt Dumba as trade rumours have been swirling about the Regina product after fellow Dman Jonas Brodin signed a seven-year extension.

Pierre LeBrun fielded the question about the 2012 7th overall selection:

“Well here’s the interesting thing. I can tell you that teams are calling Minnesota on Dumba, already. I heard that from a couple of teams today. The Wild would like a top-six centre back. And [that] was before they traded Eric Staal. So that need is pretty pressing now. And the reason why Dumba is potentially in play is because of the expansion draft next year with Seattle. Jonas Brodin’s new deal has a no-move clause. Jared Spurgeon has a no-move (clause). Ryan Suter has a no-move (clause). You can do the math. Most teams don’t want to protect four defencemen in the expansion draft. Now, it doesn’t mean that Dumba has to be moved this off-season. Certainly the Wild could wait until the trade deadline next year before the expansion draft. Or protect four defencemen, which I don’t think is likely. The Winnipeg Jets, by the way, one of the [teams] I believe that have some interest in Dumba. But what they don’t have is a top-six centre to trade Minnesota.”

LeBrun was also on TSN 1040 Vancouver afterwards where he confirmed the team he was hearing when it comes to Dumba was the Jets.

“If there’s a team that I heard connected to Dumba today, was Winnipeg, who would love to get a top four right handed D.”

Of course if the Wild want a centre it would seem that isn’t a piece the Jets have to trade considering they have been looking for a top six centre for some time.

Elliotte Friedman said this on Sportsnet 650’s The Program:

“I really believe if Dumba gets dealt it’s going to be for someone down the middle,” Friedman said. “And if it’s not someone down the middle it’s going to be a name that you say ‘Oh OK I get this.’ But Guerin had made it very clear that it was going to be a centre. A top centre.”

These comments from Friedman would also appear to preclude the Jets from being in the running for Dumba’s services.

Ken Wiebe of Sportsnet put a piece out this morning about this topic:  Why the Winnipeg Jets should be interested in trading for Matt Dumba.