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NHL Free Agency 2018: Minnesota Wild sign Matt Dumba to five-year deal

By Dave Stevenson

ST. PAUL, MN - APRIL 17: Matt Dumba #24 of the Minnesota Wild skates with the puck against the Winnipeg Jets in Game Four of the Western Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Xcel Energy Center on April 17, 2018 in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images)
ST. PAUL, MN - APRIL 17: Matt Dumba #24 of the Minnesota Wild skates with the puck against the Winnipeg Jets in Game Four of the Western Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Xcel Energy Center on April 17, 2018 in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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The Minnesota Wild have locked up defenseman Matt Dumba, signing him to a five-year deal worth $30 million in NHL free agency

The Minnesota Wild entered the 2018 offseason with a bit of uncertainty. Along with having a new general manager, they had a number of restricted free agents in NHL free agency. One of their two key ones was defenseman Matt Dumba. The Wild have announced they’ve signed him to a five-year extension worth $30 million.

In 2017-18, Dumba set career highs in various categories, including goals (14), assists (36), and points (50). He played an average of 23:49 per game during the regular season, which was also a career high. Dumba also tied his career best in power-play points (12) while setting a career high in power-play assists (10).

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During the playoffs, he added two points in five games while averaging over 26 minutes per game. In 26 career postseason games, Dumba has eight points. During his regular season career, he has played in 310 games and has 128 points (44 goals and 84 assists).

With Dumba under contract, the Wild now have a projected $5.625 million of cap space according to Cap Friendly. However, Cap Friendly lists them as having 24 players on their NHL roster. So it’s likely the Wild will send down a few players, which should help increase their salary cap space.

Jason Zucker is their last remaining restricted free agent. The Wild will have plenty of space to get something done with him.

This is a pretty good deal for Minnesota. Dumba has blossomed into one of the Wild’s top defenseman. He’s not too far from surpassing Ryan Suter, especially considering Suter just turned 33 years old.

Dumba should replace Suter effectively once he’s proven he’s no longer a top pairing defenseman. The price of defensemen is rising, so locking up a very good defenseman for five years and $6 million a year is a pretty solid deal.

With Dumba locked up, the Wild’s future is far more certain than it was when the offseason began. Minnesota has their eventual replacement for Suter signed long-term.

Next: Central Division Free Agency Grades

However, they must deal with Eric Staal’s free agency next summer. But it appears the Wild are preparing to cross that bridge when they come to it.

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