Matt Dumba learns his fate after being placed on waivers.

The Pittsburgh Penguins made a surprise move on Friday when they made the decision to waive veteran defenseman Matt Dumba. The decision was made after the Penguins completed a trade that sent now former Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry to the Edmonton Oilers, a move that all but forced the Penguins to place Dumba on waivers.

It was something of a risky move for the Penguins who have deployed Dumba at times this season, with Dumba appearing in 11 games this season and averaging just under 15 minutes of ice time over those games. That being said it never seemed likely that Dumba would be claimed given his hefty price tag, a cap hit of $3.75 million, and declining performance in recent years. A cap hit that big is simply too big for most teams in the National Hockey League to absorb mid season and we have now seen this play out in real time.

In spite of the fact that teams could have claimed Dumba for free on waivers, with only his cap hit to consider, every team in the NHL has chosen to pass on his services. As a result Dumba has cleared waivers, and unfortunately for the Penguins that likely means that his value as a potential trade asset is going to be at an all time low.