The Dallas Stars traded defenseman Matt Dumba and a 2028 second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins for defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok, both teams announced Thursday.
The move creates salary cap relief for Dallas, which was over the cap before the trade.
Dumba is in the second year of a two-year contract that pays him $3.75 million annually. The deal hasn’t worked out for Stars general manager Jim Nill, who’s won GM of the year three times. Dumba was a healthy scratch for all 18 of Dallas’ playoff games this past season.
The 30-year-old recorded 10 points in 63 regular season games while averaging 15:18 of ice time per game.
Dumba had his best season in 2017-18 with a career-high 50 points. His production has declined since then.
Matt Dumba, traded to PIT, is a veteran depth defenceman who shoots the puck and plays with a bit of an edge. #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/uxhoyqHx1R
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 10, 2025
The Penguins add to their collection of draft picks as they continue rebuilding. Pittsburgh now has three second-round picks in 2026, two in 2027, and two in 2028. The team also made three first-round selections at this year’s draft.
Dumba’s playing time in Pittsburgh isn’t guaranteed. Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang, and Connor Clifton are projected to make up the right side of the Penguins’ defense.
The Penguins reportedly tried to trade Karlsson before the 2025 trade deadline. They’re expected expected to continue shopping him this summer.
Kolyachonok was a second-round pick by the Florida Panthers in 2019. The 6-foot-2 left-shot defenseman has 14 points in 74 career NHL games with the Arizona Coyotes, Utah Mammoth, and Penguins.
The 24-year-old should provide depth on Dallas’ blue line.
