The Wild want goaltender Devan Dubnyk to come back. Dubnyk said he wants to come back.
But there’s been little to no movement on a new contract since discussions began at the start of June.
So with a July 1 deadline looming, Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher is hoping to push things forward by meeting with Dubnyk and his agent next week, the Pioneer Press reports.
Both Fletcher and the 29-year-old Dubnyk will be in Las Vegas Tuesday – the GM for league meetings, and the goalie for the NHL awards ceremony, the Pioneer Press says.
Dubnyk is one of three finalists for the Vezina Trophy thanks to his dominant run during the second half of the Wild’s season. He posted a 27-9-2 record with Minnesota after the team traded for him on Jan. 14, propelling the team to the playoffs. He’s also a Masterton Trophy finalist.
Fletcher will then head to Florida to meet with Dubnyk’s agent Mike Liut Wednesday or Thursday, the Star Tribune reports.
“We need to resolve our goaltending situation,” Fletcher said, according to the paper.
What’s the hold-up?
On July 1, Dubnyk becomes a free agent and can start taking offers from other teams. The Wild would like to get a deal done before then so he doesn’t hit the market.
But it’s not as simple as it sounds, and there are some complicating factors.
For one, the two sides simply seem to be apart on money.
There’s also the NHL draft, which starts next Friday June 26. While not a hard deadline, Fletcher could be tempted to resolve that goalie spot by trading for a netminder during the draft – which of course would mean Dubnyk is out.
Making things even more difficult is the Wild’s cap situation, muddied by two goalies already under contract: the injured Nicklas Backstrom’s $3.4 million contract, and Darcy Kuemper’s $1.25 million deal.
