Mar 31, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Dallas Stars defenseman Mathew Dumba (3) passes the puck against the Seattle Kraken during the third period at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Penguins Acquire Veteran Defenseman From Stars

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Jacob Punturi | Last updated Jul 10, 2025 5:51 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Penguins' offseason makeover continued in the dead of summer, as they linked up with the Dallas Stars for a defensive corps shakeup. The Penguins acquired defenseman Mathew Dumba from the Stars, along with a 2028 second-round draft pick, in exchange for blue liner Vladislav Kolyachonok.

The Stars create some necessary salary cap space by dealing Dumba to the Penguins. Pittsburgh is happy to add another right-handed shot with experience to their backend. The Penguins are also taking on the entirety of Dumba's remaining contract. He is signed through the 2025-2026 season and carries a salary cap hit of $3.75 million.

The Penguins have acquired defenseman Matt Dumba and a 2028 second-round draft pick from the Dallas Stars in exchange for defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok.

Details: https://t.co/PnehxGBkBI pic.twitter.com/pTzTwxqluL
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) July 10, 2025

This past season was his first with the Stars. He played in 63 regular season contests, picking up one goal and nine assists for 10 points. He did not play in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The 30-year-old Dumba is a former first-round pick in the 2012 NHL Draft. The Minnesota Wild selected him with the seventh overall pick, and he made his NHL debut the following season. In addition to the Stars and Wild, Dumba has also suited up for the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Arizona Coyotes. In total, he's scored 84 goals and 258 points in 737 regular-season contests. He's also appeared in 54 postseason games, totaling 15 points.

His best NHL season came during the 2017-2018 campaign. He accumulated 16 goals and 34 assists for a career-best 50 points in 82 games played.

The Penguins continued their stockpiling of draft picks in the deal. The latest second-round pick acquired gives the organization 29 total selections in the next three drafts, including 17 in the first three rounds. As Pittsburgh's rebuild continues, don't be surprised if the team trades Dumba during the season for more draft picks or a prospect.

The Stars are bringing in a player that could provide underrated value in Kolyachonok. The Belarusian defender is just 24 years old, has good size at 6'2", and played in 35 NHL games last season. He should get a shot to fill out the bottom pairing in Dallas as they look to make their fourth straight Western Conference Finals.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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