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Dubnyk Needs to Be in the Conversation

November 18, 2016, 1:04 PM ET [6 Comments]
Dan Wallace
Minnesota Wild Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Devan Dubnyk is playing some incredible goal for the Minnesota Wild, while largely flying under the radar of the hockey media mainstream. All Dubnyk has done is posted a gaudy .952 save percentage to go along with his other worldly 1.47 GAA with 4 shutouts. His 7-5-1 record is only due to the Wild's lack of scoring punch. Dubnyk has been on the wrong side of not one but two 1-0 shutouts in the last two weeks alone.

Devan Dubnyk was a first round draft choice (14th overall) by the Edmonton Oilers back in 2004. His early career was marred by playing behind awful teams in Edmonton with little to no structure. His career hit an all time low in 2014 when he was traded to Nashville where he started just two games and was subsequently traded to Montreal where he wound up playing for the Canadiens AHL affiliate in Hamilton.

He never made it back to the NHL with the Canadiens but ironically he very well might have had he not asked to go home once the AHL season had ended. You may recall that Carey Price was injured during the playoff series against the New York Rangers that spring.

Dubnyk's career was most certainly in jeopardy as he teetered on the fringes of the NHL. That all took a turn for the positive when he agreed to a one year deal with Arizona to back up starter Mike Smith. Dubnyk credits Coyotes goaltending coach with helping him to become the goaltender that he is today. The trade to the Wild was the exact perfect fit at exactly the perfect time for both Dubnyk and the Wild who were at a crossroads with their own goaltending merry-go-round. Niklas Backstrom was at the end of the line in his NHL career, Josh Harding had been unfortunately diagnosed with MS, and Darcy Kuemper was too young and inexperienced to shoulder the load.

We all know what Dubnyk did when he came here to Minnesota carrying the team to the playoffs on his back going 27-9-2 with a 1.78 GAA and .936 save percentage with 5 shutouts.

We all know and recognize that Carey Price is the top of the goaltending class. That said there are other top netminders that tend to get the love Henrik Lundqvist, Cory Schneider, Tuukka Rask, Braden Holtby, and Sergei Bobrovsky to name a few, but Dubnyk needs to be mentioned in the class and possibly moved to the top of the list right behind Price.

Dubnyk is not just a product of the system and team that he plays on, he is a top notch NHL goaltender. When you watch him play he tracks the puck so well and moves very efficiently in the net. He is, like most NHL goalies these days, big, but also very athletic. He has a very calm approach to the game which allows him to stay on top of his game even if a shot or two get by him.

Dubnyk gives the Wild players confidence to play their game, that if they do make a mistake their goalie will be there to bail them out.

Last Saturday night I had several of the Flyer media say to me "Dubnyk is outstanding, really fun to watch." That was a game in which he let up three goals which could very easily have been five or six.

It is time that the Wild superstar is recognized and it is also time for the Wild players to start elevating their play to that of their goaltender. It could be a special year in the State of Hockey if they do.
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