Jason Zucker

Which Wild Prospects Would Fletcher Part with in a Trade NOW?

Jun 11, 2014 • 3:49 am

WildHBcommunity: Which Wild Prospects Would Fletcher Part with in a Trade NOW?

After some thought I believe Mathew Dumba, Jason Zucker, and Zack Phillips could find that their NHL future will not be in the Minnesota Wild organization. I could see each of these players being included by Fletcher in a trade this offseason. I hold a high opinion on each of these young players as I also believe the Wild does as well but I think each could find themselves more valuable to the organization as an asset to trade.

Mathew Dumba

In Dumba the Wild have a young player that creates havoc for opponents with his energy and aggressive nature. Dumba is an offensive defenseman who has provided glimpses of brilliance with a booming shot and end to end puck carrying ability. Dumba at his best is able to create offense with his puck possession and skating once he activates himself. Dumba plays with great energy and powerful emotion that has been quite evident to the organization and fan base during his prospect camp appearances and limited NHL action since being selected 7th overall in the 2012 NHL draft.

The Wild kept Dumba on the roster to begin last season instead of returning the 19 year old to his Canadian Juniors team the Red Deer Rebels of the WHL. Dumba struggled though in his limited appearances with Wild looking apprehensive and overwhelmed by the speed and skill of opponents at the NHL level. In 13 games with the Wild, Dumba had 1 goal and 2 points total.

Instead of returning Dumba to Red Deer to preserve a year of his entry level deal, Fletcher chose to instead keep him on the NHL roster until the World Juniors Tournament began so he could be loaned to Team Canada. Dumba played significant minutes in his first WJHC appearance and then had his Juniors rights traded to the Portland Winter Hawks. Dumba was then sent back to the WHL to finish the rest of the season on the high powered Winter Hawks team loaded with multiple top end prospects to make a run at the Memorial Cup.

Dumba is one of my favorite players in the Wild organization because of how exciting and fun to watch his game is but I don’t believe his style of play fits what head coach Mike Yeo is looking to accomplish within his system. Dumba has struggled with the defensive portion of his game most specifically gap control, positioning, and responsibility to his assignment.

Dumba is a long shot in my mind to make the 2014-15 NHL roster in Minnesota because of the young core of defenders (Jared Spurgeon, Marco Scandella, Jonas Brodin, and Christian Folin) are farther along in their development skills wise and physically in addition to having just turned in very impressive performances last season. For Dumba to reach his potential he needs to be playing Top 4 pairing minutes so he is project to spend a great deal of the upcoming season in Iowa of the AHL.

Fletcher and Flahr have worked diligently to create a surplus of defensive prospects in the organization as young NHL ready defenders have been a prized trade chip in the past couple seasons. Dumba has the look of a young defender that could return to the Wild a proven NHL scorer or another highly sought after asset. The wild could move Dumba in a package without crippling their prospect depth at the position or harming their NHL pairing right now.

Jason Zucker

Another of my favorite players here in Zucker could very well be leveraged by Fletcher to bring to Minnesota a proven commodity via trade as soon as the June 27th and 28th 2014 NHL Draft in Philadelphia. Zucker is a player that has captured the attention and admiration of the Wild’s fan base with his excellent speed and goal scorer mentality.

When Fletcher and Flahr selected Zucker in the 2nd round of the 2010 NHL draft they traded up to the 56th overall pick to do so. Zucker was a unique prospect in that he had been born in California before growing up in Nevada. Zucker had a background playing roller hockey in the heat of the desert before leaving home to play for the US National Development team in Michigan. Zucker has been successful and exciting at every level of American Hockey in his young career as he starred for the University of Denver before turning professional and taking the AHL by storm with the Houston Aeros.

Zucker creates signature moments with his speed and aggressiveness that Wild fans have been starved of since the departure of Marian Gaborik. With Yeo’s system and mentality, Zucker has struggled to earn a role and playing time in Minnesota. Zucker has been asked to improve his two way game before being entrusted with a significant role which is very reasonable but it also opens the door to doubts he will have his future tied to the Wild.

It seems Zucker has been on the hypothetical trading block in the minds of Wild fans for nearly two years now. This past season other young forwards(Mikael Granlund, Charlie Coyle, Nino Niederreiter, Justin Fontaine, and Erik Haula) performed beyond expectations in important roles for a Wild team that reached the 2nd round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It certainly appears Zucker has found himself on the outside looking in after having his season end prematurely due to injury.

Zucker is very talented and possesses the type of speed and scoring ability that could see him develop into to a superstar. The Wild must empower Zucker in their lineup or make sure to generate a return on him worthy of taking a risk on him becoming a force elsewhere. Zucker may have to prove healthy before his value returns to point Fletcher could leverage a suitable return on him though.

Zack Phillips

This former 1st round draft pick plays a position of high value who profiles to become a two way playmaking center at the NHL level. Phillips was table setter for top prospects Jonathan Huberdeau and Coyle while playing for the Saint John’s Sea Dogs of the QMJHL. Phillips vision and passing ability created lofty comparisons and expectations of his future potential.

Phillips has hit a bit of a road block in his development in the AHL though which many have associated with his skating and strength. Phillips 6’1… 200LB frame is a bit undersized for the NHL so it has been reasoned that he will have to get stronger to play an elevated role as NHL center. Phillips skating has been a flaw mentioned even before he arrived in Minnesota and it has threatened to limit his overall potential and effectiveness as a professional.

In watching Phillips during two prospect camps it was very apparent he has the ability to be a catalyst with his gifted hands and hockey intelligence. Phillips led the Baby Wild in Iowa last year in scoring with 12 goals and 33 points but he must take a large step forward this season for his NHL future not to be in question.

Phillips will be assigned more talented line mates to begin the season in Iowa this season as the organization has reloaded their prospect depth after graduating nearly entire class of young players to their NHL roster last year leaving the Baby Wild a bit talent bankrupt and short-handed in general. Phillips needs to get his professional career back on track and work towards fulfilling his 1st round expectations and talent. Phillips could be a player another organization takes a chance on in a trade betting that he will flourish under their guidance.

Phillips is a player that registered back to back 50 assist seasons in the QMHJL before turning professional. Phillips talent is evident but whether or not he is able to address his flaws and put together the type of production as a professional that made him a high regarded prospect is still up in the air. Phillips value in trade is hard thing to diagnose given his less than impressive AHL career to this point but he is a talented player at an in demand position.

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