The future of Matt Dumba with the Wild has been in question the last couple of years with expansion on the horizon. Now with Seattle’s roster less than two months away from being picked, the questions are picking up. With the most common protection scheme involving three defensemen and three Minnesota rearguards other than Dumba having no-move clauses guaranteeing protection, the 26-year-old is viewed as the possible odd man out. Speaking with reporters including Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Dumba made it clear that he’d like to stick around:
My name’s in trade speculation every year, at the deadline, throughout the year. I’ve become accustomed to it. It is what it is. I’ve expressed my feelings and where I want to be, where my heart is. At the end of the day, that’s all I can do.
Dumba has two years remaining on his deal with a $6 million average annual value, a rate that could be viewed as a little high after he managed just 21 points in 51 games this season. However, he’s only three years removed from a 50-point campaign for the Wild, and considering that Dumba averages more than 22 minutes per night, there will be interest if they opt to move him.
Elsewhere in the West:
- Also from McLellan, Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin’s upper-body injury wasn’t as bad as initially feared. He wound up suffering a sprained shoulder in Game 7 against Vegas, one that will keep him away from training for a couple of weeks, but it won’t affect his preparation for next season.
- The Blues have not started talks regarding a new deal for winger Jaden Schwartz yet, notes Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The 28-year-old had a tough showing this season, notching just eight goals and 13 assists in 40 games. However, he had at least 55 points in three of the last four seasons and five of the last seven, so his camp will undoubtedly be using that in talks. He played on a $5.35 million average annual value this season and even in this cap environment, he could conceivably try to push for a small raise.
- While June 1st is known as a day when teams lose some of their unsigned prospects, it’s also a deadline for teams to tender bona fide offers to their previously selected players to retain their rights. Most teams don’t issue a release when they do so, but the Sharks announced that they’ve tendered offers to 2020 draft picks Brandon Coe and Timofey Spitserov. The forwards were picked in the fourth and seventh rounds, respectively.
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