Minnesota Wild Healthy Scratch Veteran Issues as Trade Rumors Swirl

Minnesota Wild head coach Dean Evason confirmed Thursday morning that defenseman Matt Dumba will be a healthy scratch for the team's game against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Evason confirmed that the decision was a reflection of Dumba's play of late, nothing more. Dumba has just 12 points this season and 54 PIMs. While the defensive side of his game has been fairly consistent over his career, Dumba's offensive contributions have wavered, and Evason clearly feels a rest is in order.

Dumba's name has circulated in trade rumors for two or three seasons now, so this could be the year the Wild finally find a deal for him. Trouble is, Dumba's $6 million cap-hit is an overpayment, and he is an unrestricted free agent after this season.

Any team trading for him will likely require the Wild to retain salary, and even then the return won't be great. A situation to watch moving forward.

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