Mathew Dumba

MNWild 2014 Development Camp Defensemen Preview

Jul 11, 2014 • 9:13 am

WildHBcommunity: MNWild 2014 Development Camp Defensemen Preview

The Minnesota Wild NHL Defensive Corps is Most Talented in Franchise History

The blue line for the Minnesota Wild has often been a mix and match of journeymen veterans and specialist types but now more than ever before the defensive corps are a position group with strong depth and potential top tier talent in the prospect ranks. When the signing of Ryan Suter was announced 2 summers ago it meant the arrival of a quarterback of the blue line for the Wild. Suter has lived up to his billing as a true #1 defenseman playing nearly 30 minutes a game in every situation the team faces. Suter has been paired with several of the Wild’s young defenders helping to support and teach them on the job.

Last season Jared Spurgeon was arguably the Wild’s best all around defender playing top pairing minutes with Suter. Despite his slight of stature, Spurgeon showed his very good hands and hockey IQ could help to eliminate some of the adversity his size created playing against bigger stronger offensive opponents. Spurgeon could enter this season penciled into the top pairing with Suter or it could be Jonas Brodin who had experienced a sophomore stumble last season. Brodin came out the gates very strong to begin last so it appeared he was close to taking the next step towards super stardom but a shattered cheek bone derailed his season.

Brodin and Spurgeon both have proven capable of driving possession and despite neither being a big, strong, tough guy type defender each has shown that they can play against the most potent offensive players and eliminate opportunities. Paired with both of those more finesse defenders, Suter has been leaned on heavily to play a more physical brand of hockey which seemed to take its toll last year leading to some lapses and less than top end performance in the defensive zone. Hopefully Brodin adds some strength this offseason and is able to shake off what looked to be lingering worries over contact after taking that puck to the face.

The Wild Top 4 is rounded out by Marco Scandella who easily had his strongest and most consistent professional season last year. Although Scandella seemed to focus specifically on being a defensive stopper and bring a physical element to his play, many underestimate his offensive abilities. Scandella a former 2008 2nd round selection has the ability to carry the puck end to end but what was so impressive is how much he improved his play in the defensive end. Scandella has shown he is capable of supporting his fellow slight of stature more finesse type defenders which went largely unheralded last season but was so important to the team’s success.

The bottom pairing as it stands now should begin the season as a rotation of Keith Ballard, Jon Blum, and Christian Folin. Ballard had moments last season where he was tenacious and aggressive in both ends generating shots on goal and hip checking fools haha! Ballard though also showed the inconsistency and questionable play that made him a compliance buyout in Vancouver. Hopefully Ballard is able to fit into a bottom pair rotation and provide a gritty veteran element this year. If not maybe he will not be long for the roster.

Blum came to the organization last year after Nashville moved on from him and handled himself perfectly to warrant a shot at the NHL level this year. He got a look with the Wild near the end of the regular season but was named Man of The Year with the ‘Baby Wild’ for his work in the community and he put together a strong AHL season. Blum looked to have realized that for his offensive game to matter he will have to be a strong player in the defensive zone. Blum will be afforded every opportunity to earn a bottom pairing spot and ice time this fall.

Top NCAA Free Agent Signing Folin Must Prove Ready for NHL

The NHL is fast becoming a year round hot stove league with player acquisition dates popping up all the time. When the seasons of NCAA hockey teams started to end this spring, the clock was ticking on where players considered to be free agents because of going undrafted would choose to sign to begin their professional careers. Wild fans have been provided examples of these types of signings with Casey Wellman, Justin Fontaine, and Nate Prosser recently jumping to the pro game and contributing as young fresh faces. I would contend though that no NCAA free agent the Wild has come to terms with was more ready and able to play in the NHL than Umass-Lowell defensemen Christian Folin.

In trying to track down information about Folin who was considered to be the top NCAA free agent last year, I talked with many people who followed him closely during his college career. Each person I spoke with talked about how smart and consistent Folin was during his Riverhawks career which fits concisely with how Wild Assistant General Manager Brent Flahr and his scouting staff have pinpointed young players to add to this organization. Folin is a right-shot which Wild general manger Chuck Fletcher always seems to mention when asked about needs of this team.

Folin also fits the very valuable description of size/skill as he uses his 6’3… 215lb frame to eliminate defenders and move bodies but his ability to carry the puck and make that all important break-out pass is so under reported. Folin is the physical element the Wild will miss with Clayton Stoner gone but skilled enough to not drive the fans crazy with puck bobbles and highlight reel gaffs. I believe Folin will make the roster out of camp and will be a very capable fun defender to watch this coming season.

The Handling of Mathew Dumba is Patience Personified to Cultivate his Unique Talent

When the Wild kept Mathew Dumba on the roster last season beyond the 9-game maximum per the CBA it activated the first year of his three year entry level deal. Dumba’s dynamic talent is certainly high regarded but his development and graduation to the NHL is something that has drawn many wide ranging opinions. Dumba was a selected 8th overall in the 2012 NHL draft by the Wild, almost immediately fans began viewing his highlight reels hits and offensive play with the Red Deer Rebels of the WHL. Huge expectations and excitement has surrounded Dumba since his Red Deer days but lingering questions about his size and ability to play in the defensive zone continue to be relevant.

Keeping Dumba in Minnesota and on the NHL roster it appeared they had committed to him through the good, bad, and ugly but Fletcher and Flahr had insulated themselves with a savvy contingency plan should he fail to launch. Dumba looked like he was playing not to make a mistake during his 2013-14 NHL playing time which in essence cancels out what is so dynamic about his play. Fletcher responded to Dumba’s hesitance and mediocre performance in the Wild’s lineup by loaning him to Team Canada for the WJHC in a prominent role an opportunity he had never been previous afford. Dumba produced a mix bag with Team Canada but certainly it was a very good experience to help him play against the world’s top young prospects.

Dumba then had his WHL rights traded from Red Deer to the Portland Winterhawks which is a move Fletcher certainly assisted in. Playing for Portland would mean a return to the WHL which certainly could feel like failure for Dumba in his first professional season but going to a team as talented and loaded to make a deep Memorial Cup run was another experience Dumba had never been presented. Although Dumba didn’t burst onto the scene as a Calder candidate during the 2013-14 season, he became a very important member of the Winterhawks and earned a major role on a team loaded with future NHLers while scoring nearly a point per game.

Things to know about Dumba are that he has the type of speed and offensive skill set that he could become a 20 goals scorer as a defender for the Wild. Dumba is lightning in a bottle, he has the unique ability to break play open without warning whether it be his booming shot or bone crunching body checks. Dumba has predatory mentality that creates a need for opponents to account for him on the ice at all times. When Dumba is feeling it whatever it is, he is a game changing performer and I am not sure that can be said about many players around the NHL right.

The thing that people have to realize about Dumba is before he can be unleashed on the NHL, he has to get stronger physically or he will have a hard time staying healthy and in the lineup. Dumba needs to work on his gap control and defensive zone IQ because he spent far too much time chasing his assignment or being taken advantage of by more experienced offensive opponents during his NHL time last year. Dumba has to be confident about his responsibilities and assignments on the ice because that will allow him to jump up in the play and be dynamic when taking risks. The aggressive nature of Dumba’s play will come at the risk of some odd man rushes and a need for his partner to cover up for him but as with other offensively gifted defender around the NHL.

Dumba will definitely be in the competition to make the NHL roster out of training camp but I think Fletcher and Flahr realize that bringing him along at a measured pace is the best way to proceed. Dumba should go to the ‘Baby Wild’ to play top pairing minutes in a leadership role to begin next season. Dumba’s play and presence in Des Moines will be a brand builder for the 2nd year AHL franchise and be another challenge for him to hit head on. Dumba has no-doubt NHL talent but I think his handling by the Wild has shown how important development of potential can be for a prospect with potential volatility can be.

From Unknown to Underrated Iowa is Next on the Agenda for Gustav Olofsson

When the Wild selected Gustav Olofsson in the 2nd round of the 2013 NHL draft a collective “Who?… went out across the floor not unlike 2011 when the franchise selected another Swedish defender Brodin that few people had heard of previously. Brodin turned out to be a very deft selection by Fletcher and Flahr as it appears is also the case with Olofsson. The young defender took an unconventional route is hockey career coming to America as a teen to play in the USHL in Green Bay. Olofsson comes from a family of soccer players and his father is 6’8… which surely intrigued the Wild’s scouting department as visions of a huge mobile skilled defender danced through their heads.

Olofsson earned praise and attention for his play during the WJHC for Team Sweden last year, it was interesting that it was his first time being included on the national team but showed that leaving his native country so early in his life to pursue hockey had been a gamble that paid off. Olofsson attended the Colorado College becoming the team relied upon heavily although he was just a freshman. Olofsson’s 6’4… 190lb frame is an immediate attention generator for hockey people because he is still growing and has plenty of room to add strength while he develops.

Olofsson profiles to be a mostly stay at home defender but he can handle the puck and adds a bit of offense. Olofsson should be the perfect safety blanket for the Wild’s more skilled but slight of stature defenders because although he is big body he is a fluid skater. Olofsson should be paired up with Dumba for the ‘Baby Wild’ to begin the year which will be a significant upgrade. Olofsson will be fun to watch as he grows into his frame and the AHL should test his mentality a bit so he could show a bit of nasty streak eventually.

Fletcher Takes Shot on another Highly Productive Mighty Mouse Defender

The Wild signed Canadian Juniors overage free agent Guillaume Gelinas who just finished a remarkably productive final season with Val-dOr of the QMJHL that saw him score 23 goals and 92 points in 67 regular season games for which he was awarded the Emile Bouchard Trophy as the league’s best defenseman. Gelinas is 5’9… 185lb of dynamite in a small package and fans of the ‘Baby Wild’ should instantly appreciate that despite his stature he has a vicious streak and a chip on his shoulder. Since Fletcher was able to mine Spurgeon as an unsigned free agent after an extremely productive career in juniors, the comparison to him is the easy way to go with writing about Gelinas but I think they are very different players. Gelinas scored a ton of points on a very talented line but he will probably come back to earth in the AHL. Gelinas though despite his stature plays very physical from what I have seen.

Whether Gelinas has an NHL ceiling is tough to tell at this point and it is ultimately not fair to compare him to Spurgeon who has far exceeded just about everyone’s expectation. Gelinas should be a good boost to the blue line for the ‘Baby Wild’ that didn’t do their goaltenders any favors last year. Gelinas will have to work on his skating and handling to carry over his offensive game but he has an aggressive mentality on the ice so he should earn playing time and grow his game in Des Moines.

The Minnesota Wild is Prospect Pipeline is flush with Defenders

The core group of Wild defensive prospects playing NCAA hockey right now should produce at least a couple professional defenders for the organization. The likes of John Draeger (Michigan State), Nolan De Jong (Michigan), and Nick Seeler (Nebraska-Omaha) are not even included in this year’s prospect camp but each will be featured in important roles next year for their respective teams. Each of these guys had solid seasons last year and popped up on my radar when playing the Gophers who I follow also.

Former 2012 5th round selection Daniel Gunnarsson decided to sign a new contract in Europe rather than come to North America to play in the AHL this summer and the teams is still deep with prospects on the blue line. Gunnarsson spurning the Wild’s would have been a far greater loss in previous season but he likely could read the writing on the wall as he would have been buried deep on the prospect depth chart even had he come across the pond.

Some defenders that will be in attendance at the development camp this week are Dylan Labbe who played a couple games in Iowa last year after his QMJHL season ended with Shawinigan. Carson Soucy (Minnesota-Duluth) and Louis Belpedio (Miami-Ohio) will both be featured on their NCAA squads this fall. Belpedio was selected in the 3rd round of the 2014 NHL Draft. He was the captain of the US National Development Team that also had Alex Tuch on it this year. Belpedio is an undersized jack of all trades type who might not have the highest ceiling as a prospect but I would not bet against him making it to the NHL because of his intangibles as a hockey player and person.

Tanner Faith was selected by the Wild in the 5th round of the 2014 NHL Draft largely based upon his size and abilities in the defensive end but 203-14 was basically a lost season for him as he was limited to just 10 games for Kootenay of the WHL. Flahr mentioned that his juniors coaches raved about him so his selection was largely based on who he could be.

It was a bit of a let down to me that international man of mystery Pontus Sjalin of Ostersunds the Wild’s 6th round selection in the 2014 NHL Draft was not included in this camp. He has been described be Flahr as “very mobile… which probably means the kid can skate but there rest is still to be determined. I mean now I want this kid to be the next Niklas Lidstrom to just prove the genius of Flahr and his scouts. Being listed at 6’0… 148lb and playing for a junior level team in Sweden next year probably gives you an indicator of why he will not be on the ice in Minnesota this week.

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