Matt Dumba looks like he’ll be sticking around with Wild

RALEIGH, N.C. – Matt Dumba had an inkling he would return to the Wild’s lineup Saturday night when he saw Clayton Stoner didn’t participate in the morning skate.

But coach Mike Yeo made it official when he skated up to the rookie defenseman and asked if he was ready to go.

The 19-year-old breathed a major sigh of relief when he skated in his benchmark 10th game against the Hurricanes. That means the first year of his three-year contract kicks in, further solidifying his spot on the Wild.

Dumba either has to stay with the Wild or return to Red Deer in the Western Hockey League. The Wild can still return him, but that’s unlikely for awhile now — if at all.

“To get back in the lineup is huge. Nobody likes to sit out,” said Dumba, who has been scratched eight times, including the previous four. “For it to be my 10th game in the position I’m in is nice, but I have to keep building from there and hopefully I get the 20th game and 30th game and so on.”

Playing Saturday allows Dumba to forget about the nine-game threshold. He admitted after a rough game against Chicago on Oct. 28 that he was rattled by the landmark. Dumba said Yeo reminded him of the things he had to do to be successful against Carolina, like moving the puck quickly and “keeping my head on a swivel.”

Dumba was paired with fellow right-shot defenseman Nate Prosser, who played on the left side.

via Dumba looks like he’ll be sticking around with Wild | Star Tribune.