Minnesota Wild defender Mathew Dumba has yet to cash in on his first free-agent deal this summer as he remains the only RFA not named Jordan Schroeder to sign a deal. As days go by without a deal one has to wonder what exactly do the Wild have in store for Dumba?
The Minnesota Wild have only two major restricted free-agents left to sign. Jordan Schroeder is opting to head to salary arbitration, but will more than likely see a deal before his hearing which is scheduled for later this month. The bigger question is where are the Wild in their negotiations with Mathew Dumba? There’s been very little word about if the Wild are looking to re-sign the 21-year-old defenseman, and of course as the days go by the question becomes just what do the Wild have in store for him?
The Wild most likely haven’t signed Dumba yet because they are waiting for all options to playout. The two sides have to be thinking of number that is close to $1.5 million annually, give or take a bit. This is based largely on the Kuemper and Zucker deals. If Dumba is balking at all at the number, it could be bad for his future with the team. But if he’s around that number than GM Chuck Fletcher could be just working out the final details.
The trade market has been relatively quiet this offseason, but the free-agent picture has largely been completely framed. That means that more teams will look to the trade market as free-agent boat has largely sailed. If Dumba can’t be signed easily he’ll be traded for sure, but even if he can he still might be traded.
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Of course there are trade rumors abound for Dumba, but nothing has yet to materialize. Lots of clubs seem to be looking for defense, and Dumba certainly fits their bill. His potential to be a top pairing defender is obvious, and he’s already got a bunch of NHL experience under his belt. Still it seems that many clubs might not be viewing Dumba as a top-tier defender.
It just seems that many teams who we all know Fletcher has spoken with have gone out and looked elsewhere to acquire a defender. The Oilers trade of Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson shows that they were willing to trade a forward for a right-shot defender but decided on another option. Dumba no doubt was offered to the Oilers for one of their you and talented forwards, but something must have been wrong with the asking price or that the Oilers just didn’t want him…which is probably not the case.
The issue seems to be finding the right price. The interest from teams is there for Dumba, but with no deal materializing yet it seems as if the price points aren’t right for Fletcher. He’s already hinted that he’s looking for prices in the free-agent market to fall a bit, and he might be doing that with the trade market as well.
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Also though a scenario in which the Wild keep Dumba is still entirely possible. Scott Stevens and Bruce Boudreau have said they think the roster as is now can win. So something tells me the price for Dumba may be higher than it has been, and that the Wild are signaling to the rest of the league that they have plans for Dumba and only serious offers will be entertained.
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Whatever the case may be, the Wild will be in a position to get something. If Dumba signs for a fair price, then they have the services of one of the best young defenders for another length of time. If he doesn’t want to sign for that fair price, then the Wild will be able to trade him and get something. Either action should play out soon, but then again there’s a lot of offseason left.