According to Michael Russo of the Star Tribune, the Minnesota Wild’s top priority before Friday’s NHL Draft is figuring out its goaltending situation.
General Manager Chuck Fletcher is in Las Vegas for the league’s GM meetings and he’s expected to meet with goalie Devan Dubnyk on Tuesday, and then fly to Florida where he’ll meet with Dubnyk’s agent on Wednesday.
On Monday, Fletcher, per Fox Sports, said the talks with Dubnyk’s camp have been “typical” so far.
“They’ve been amicable and I think we’ve had good dialogue and we’ll continue that dialogue this week,” Fletcher said. “And again I’m hopeful we’ll get it done, mainly because I think it’s a good fit for both sides. I don’t think either one of us can overlook that.”
If Dubnyk isn’t resigned by July 1 he’ll become an unrestricted free agent. But there’s pressure on Minnesota to get a deal done in the next 48 hours because teams can become flirting with potential free agents like Dubnyk as soon as Thursday.
Status quo on Devan Dubnyk contract talks. Wild GM Chuck Fletcher slated to meet with agent Mike Liut in Florida this week
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 22, 2015
Dubnyk will surely spark interest from teams in search of a goaltender. The 26-year-old was a career backup goalie before displaying top tier talent in Minnesota following a January trade from Arizona. Dubnyk dazzled in net after the trade, going 27-9-2 with a 1.78 goals-against average.
Dubnyk is also in Las Vegas for this week’s NHL Awards, where he’s a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, which is awarded to the league’s best goalie.
Russo says that if Fletcher can’t get Dubnyk signed and he goes elsewhere, goalies to keep an eye on are Antti Niemi and Karri Ramo.
