The Arizona Coyotes have signed right-shot defenseman Matt Dumba to a one-year deal worth $3.9M

The Coyotes get: a former premier goal-scoring rearguard who has been a shadow of his former self since a serious shoulder injury in December of 2018. At the time, he had 12 goals in just 32 contests. Since then, he had just 23 goals in 256 games.

Dumba, a seventh overall draft pick in 2012, returned in 2019-20 and was given 2:39 per game of PP time, but managed just eight PPPts. In 2020-21 his PPTOI dipped to 1:59, and PPPts also slid to just five. A year later – more decline, to 1:45 per contest. Last season, Dumba wasn't given any PP time at all. Instead, he has been groomed to become a penalty killer on the second unit. He hasn't been terrible in a shutdown role, but he hasn't been great either.

This signing amounts to a second chance for Dumba. The Coyotes will likely try him out on the second PP unit alongside JJ Moser behind the left/right combo of Juuso Valimaki and Sean Durzi. His contract is steep, and his next one will probably be nowhere close to that number unless he can re-establish himself. That being said, players have bounced back in the past, after being written off. Erik Gustafsson had a nice spike in his numbers with Washington over a couple of months, and the Coyotes reinvigorated Shayne Gostisbehere. So it's not completely far-fetched to assume they can't do the same for Dumba. But don't bet the house on it.

Fantasy Players Impacted: It is unlikely that Dumba will unseat either Valimaki or Durzi from any key ice time here, but he does knock youngster Victor Soderstrom a peg. Soderstrom is also a right-handed shot, so he'll now man the third pairing and see very little PP time.

Fantasy Players this helps, in order:

1. Dumba

Fantasy Players this hurts, in order: Soderstrom