Devan Dubnyk Acquired By Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild have acquired Arizona Coyotes goaltender Devan Dubnyk for a third round pick, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger.

Dubnyk comes to a team that suppresses shots as well as anyone in the league and has the dubious honor of having the worst goaltending in the NHL.

Wild fans may have some reservations having seen Dubnyk post a Sv% of .891 between Edmonton and Nashville last season. However, Dubnyk has played well for Arizona this season with their other goaltender, Mike Smith, struggling.

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Dubnyk is on a one-year deal with a $800,000 cap hit. In 19 games this season Dubnyk has a .917 Sv% and a 2.72 GAA. At 5-on-5 that SV% is .912 with a .911 AdSv%.

Here’s a look at his history, with color being shots faced per 60 minutes.

Dubnyk has a bit of a reputation after his struggles last season, but his career numbers aren’t bad and his play this season indicates that he’s an upgrade of Darcy Kuemper and Niklas Backstrom. If the Wild don’t have designs on keeping Dubnyk around after this season a third round pick is a high price for a rental on a team that doesn’t look destined for the playoffs. If he sticks around and the team manages to move Backstrom off the roster, then a third doesn’t seem as bad.

Part of the problem in a rental — beyond that you don’t rent players when you’re missing the playoffs — is that the team is desperate need of draft picks with prospects at the professional level thinning out after last year’s outburst of young players jumping to the NHL.

It’s interesting to me that management hasn’t given up on the season and is willing to risk a pick for Dubnyk. I’ve said a few times that even average goaltending would put this team into the mix. We’ll see. Dubnyk has been an above average goaltender in four of the last five years while playing for teams that weren’t helping him out a whole lot.

Update: