In the last 24 hours we have seen no less than five NHL goaltenders traded. Now we know one who will not be on the move, as the Minnesota Wild have come to terms with Vezina trophy finalist Devan Dubnyk on a 6-year deal worth $26 million ($4.33 million AAV).
#mnwild GM Chuck Fletcher calls Dubnyk's deal, "a market contract." Believed to be six years, around $26 million.
— Chad Graff (@ChadGraff) June 27, 2015
Dubnyk was #2 on LWOS’ list of the top 10 UFA goalies available.
Senior Hockey Editor Ken Hill had this to say on Dubnyk.
Before landing in Minnesota in January, many around the hockey world had written Dubnyk off. Considering the season from hell he had just gone through – which included being traded twice and an AHL demotion – it’s not hard to see why, but in retrospect this might not have been fair to Dubnyk. Yes, 2013-14 was a disaster, an avalanche of misfortune that began with a poor start behind a worst-in-the-West Edmonton Oilers and ended with 8 appearances with the Hamilton Bulldogs, the Montreal Canadiens AHL affiliate.
But all this masked what had been, to that point, a promising start to Dubnyk’s career. He has shown progression in both his save percentage and goals against average for four consecutive years on an Oilers squad that continued to languish in the basement despite his efforts. The potential was there, he just needed an opportunity to show it.
He got that opportunity when Arizona signed him as a free agent last summer, and he got his chance to show it after that trade to the Wild in January. From that point on, the former Kamloops Blazer was on fire, finishing second in the NHL (to Carey Price) in both goals against average and save percentage, with a sparkling win-loss record.
The question for potential suitors is whether Dubnyk can sustain that level of play or not. Indications at the moment are Minnesota and Dubnyk would like to keep their relationship going, though the Wild have some cap management to do before a deal can be signed (as Dubnyk’s demands are reported to be high). However, if they can’t come to an agreement in time, Dubnyk will hit the market, and there’s a fair chance another team could swoop in and snatch up the 2015 Vezina finalist.
