The Pittsburgh Penguins made a big trade on Dec. 12, as they dealt starting goaltender Tristan Jarry to the Edmonton Oilers. This was after Jarry was heavily linked to the Oilers over the last week, which was understandable given Edmonton’s need for goaltending help.
The Penguins received a nice return from the Oilers for Jarry, as they acquired goaltender Stuart Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick. The Penguins also traded their 2019 first-round pick, Sam Poulin, to the Oilers in the trade.
With the Penguins retooling, they chose to sell high on Jarry with this trade. The 30-year-old goaltender was a big reason for the Penguins’ nice start to the season. In 14 games with Pittsburgh this season before the trade, he had a 9-3-1 record, a .909 save percentage, and a 2.66 goals-against average.
Now, after the big Jarry trade with the Oilers, the Penguins are not done making roster moves yet. This is because one of their veteran defenseman is set to hit the waiver wire.
Penguins Place Defenseman Matt Dumba on Waivers
Following the Jarry trade, the Penguins announced that they are placing defenseman Matt Dumba on waivers.
“In a corresponding move, defenseman Matt Dumba has been designated non-roster for the purpose of being placed on waivers at 2:00 PM,” the Penguins announced on X.
With the Penguins acquiring Kulak from the Oilers, this waiver placement indicates that Dumba has become the odd man out on the Penguins’ blueline. Now that he is hitting the wire, the rest of the NHL will have the opportunity to claim him if they wish to.
Dumba has played in 11 games this season with the Penguins, where he has recorded one goal, two assists, three points, 12 blocks, 16 hits, and a minus-5 rating. His most recent appearance for the Penguins was on Dec. 7 against the Dallas Stars, where he recorded one shot and a minus-2 rating in 16:22 of ice time.
While Dumba has a solid resume, it would not be particularly surprising if he passes through waivers unclaimed. His $3.75 million cap hit is a bit high for what he provides at this juncture of his career, but time will tell if another club looking for more defensive depth takes a chance on him.
Kulak Should Be Upgrade Over Dumba for the Penguins
As noted above, one of the players who the Penguins got back from the Oilers in the Jarry trade is Kulak. While Kulak is not the flashiest of NHL defensemen, he has the potential to be an upgrade over Dumba on the Penguins’ roster.
Kulak has had a bit of a slow start to the 2025-26 season, as he has recorded zero goals, two assists, and a minus-7 rating in 31 games. Yet, when noting that he also just set career highs with seven goals, 18 assists, and 25 points this past season, he undoubtedly has the potential to bounce back with Pittsburgh.
When playing at his best, Kulak is a very solid two-way defenseman and can even handle top-four minutes. Because of this, Penguins fans should be optimistic about the team bringing in Kulak.
Penguins Waive $7.5 Million Defender After Big Oilers Trade