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Sitting at just a .500 points percentage with 28 games remaining, the Anaheim Ducks are likely to be sellers at the NHL trade deadline once again in 2024-25.
It follows a similar trend to the past few years, with the Ducks still trying to climb out of their rebuild. In 2022, we saw the team move out veterans in Rickard Rakell, Josh Manson, and Hampus Lindholm. The Ducks then sold John Klingberg and Dmitry Kulikov at the 2023 deadline, before dealing Adam Henrique to the Edmonton Oilers last year, and sending Ilya Lyubushkin to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
However, this time around, the Ducks don't have a ton of pending free agents to move. The team's biggest trade chip is likely John Gibson, but the netminder still has some term on his contract. As a result, there's certainly no guarantee that he gets dealt before the deadline.
Another name that pops out as a trade candidate, however, is Brian Dumoulin. The defenseman was acquired from the Seattle Kraken this summer, in exchange for a fourth-round pick. Dumoulin has been a decent fit in Anaheim, helping to stabilize a young blue line. He's been tasked with close to 20 minutes of ice time per game, which marks an increase of almost three minutes from last year.
But the two-time Stanley Cup champion is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. The defenseman is unlikely to be a long-term fit with the Ducks given his age, making him an obvious trade chip.
So below, we take a look at three possible landing spots for Dumoulin ahead of the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline.
Stars feeling the effects of injury trouble
The Stars have added quite a few defenders since they were eliminated from the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs. Brendan Smith and Matt Dumba were both brought in as free agents, while Cody Ceci was added last month. However, it still feels like we could see another addition.
This is largely due to Miro Heiskanen's injury. With Heiskanen out month-to-month, the Stars have to make sure their blue line is strong enough to last until then. Dallas also isn't helped by Nils Lundkvist being out for the season.
Esa Lindell and Thomas Harley will carry the load, as they return from the 4 Nations Face-Off. Cody Ceci has also averaged over 21 minutes per game since joining the Stars.
After that though, Dallas is largely relying on depth defenders. Between Ilya Lyubushkin, Matt Dumba, Lian Bischel and Brendan Smith, none of the four have even been trusted for an average of 17 minutes per game.
The Stars already made their big deadline deal last month, parting with their first-round pick in the process. But considering Dumoulin's price tag from the Ducks is only likely to be a second or third-round pick, it's possible they could still swing a deal for the defenseman as well.
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Panthers need defensive depth
The Panthers lost two key pieces off their blue line, following their Stanley Cup win. Brandon Montour signed a seven-year contract with the Seattle Kraken, while Oliver Ekman-Larsson joined the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Florida still has three key pieces, in Aaron Ekblad, Gustav Forsling and Niko Mikkola. Meanwhile, Dmitry Kulikov has been tasked with a much larger role, while Uvis Balinskis and Nate Schmidt have formed a bottom pairing.
Florida can't afford to spend much, based on their lack of future assets. At the same time, they're still in win-now mode, and if there's a position where they could use an upgrade, it's the blue line.
Dumoulin could either round out a top-four group in a potential trade from the Ducks, or take on a bottom-pairing role on the left side. With the defender likely to be moved and the Panthers likely to add, it's a realistic fit for Dumoulin.
Dumoulin could improve Jets' bottom pairing
Adding a depth defenseman likely isn't the Winnipeg Jets' top priority. You have to imagine that if the team opted to upgrade at one position prior to the deadline, it's likely to be a second-line center. With the Jets at the top of the Western Conference and poised for a deep playoff run, adding skill down the middle would make the biggest impact.
At the same time, their blue line could still use an upgrade as well. Winnipeg's top-four group remains strong, with Josh Morrissey, Dylan DeMelo, Neal Pionk and Dylan Samberg. But the group is relied on to carry a ton of the load.
Improving the bottom pairing could help to take a bit of reliance off the top-four group. Dumoulin wouldn't be a costly trade addition, likely only commanding a second or third-round pick. He also comes at a low cap hit, and Winnipeg has quite a bit of cap space. As a result, the Jets could possible add Dumoulin, while still retaining the assets and cap space needed to add a key center as well.
It's not a guarantee that the Jets add a depth defenseman, but if they do, Dumoulin makes a lot of sense.
