Open letter to the Minnesota Wild

What to do with Mathew Dumba? 

You have a lot invested - the 7th overall pick is serious business.  Dumba has to pan out, or it will set the franchise back 5 years - or worse.

Many teams find themselves in this dilemma:  you have a player who's too good for junior hockey, but not ready for a regular shift in the NHL.  As a player in his 19 year old season - the only options available are the NHL and the WHL.  I'm sure that some seasoning in Iowa would be an attractive option for this player, but that's not on the table.

We all have high hopes for Dumba, furthered with him making the Wild out of training camp.  In his 3rd career game, he buried a nice powerplay goal, and went on to play over 15 minutes:

However, the jump to the highest level of hockey in the world is not an easy one, and its been hard to get Dumba in the lineup since then.  He's only seen the ice for 13 games this year.  In those games, he's averaging 12:26 of ice time.  There are 45 rookie defenseman who average  more ice time this season.

It made perfect sense to loan Dumba to Team Canada for the World Junior Championships, which just concluded.  While Canada didn't get the result they were hoping for,  he played an integral part of that D corps, and was counted on in all situations.  He didn't have the tournament he wanted on a personal note either: minor injuries, illness, and overall rust were factors that he fought to overcome.  The outside observer may conclude from this tournament that he's still not ready for a regular shift for the Wild.

Sometimes its easy to get caught up in the now: day to day, game to game.  If you keep a special player like this close to the vest, in the tutelage of the Wild coaching staff, he'll be ready to contribute any day now.  The  main goal with developing players that you have so much invested in is what is he going to be at 25, 26, 27 - and beyond?

You don't have to look very far to find a similar story: Nino Niederreiter.  Ask him what it was like that first year with the Islanders: healthy scratch, 4th line, no significant role, rinse-lather-repeat.  If the 5th overall pick can only manage 1 goal, zero assists, and (-29), don't you think he was better suited playing his 19 year old year in major junior?  Its not a stretch to think the only way Nino was available to you was due to the Islanders mismanagement of the player.  Nino's center in the WHL could tell you the same story - he got jerked around during his 19 year as well, and is just now starting to turn the corner.

One of the best benefits of Dumba finishing the season in the WHL is a potentially long playoff run, with a quality franchise.  Under the current regime, we've seen 6 defencemen drafted in the last 4 drafts - 3 in the 1st round - and 20 players overall.  This is a team that played more playoff games last season than Dumba's entire WHL career, and is a contender for their 4th trip to the league finals.

You sent him down to the World Juniors to face elite competition, be counted upon in a starring role, and be immersed in a winning culture.  Those are the same reasons to send him back to the WHL to finish the season.

A 19 year old needs to be playing games, period.  Weather its in St Paul or Portland is almost beside the point.  He needs the minutes, the experience, the progression.  I trust you'll make the correct decision.

Open letter to Gustav Olofsson

First off, congratulations for being drafted #46 overall by the Minnesota Wild!

I'm sure that it was a pretty special experience:




I'm sure that your hockey journey has been a pretty fun ride to this point - from your native Sweden, as well as Northern California & Colorado.  As a guy who grew up in USHL country, I'm sure that your season in Green Bay was great for your development, and the Wild appear to feel the same way.

Folks in Colorado Springs are pretty excited about the prospect of seeing you suit up for Colorado College this season, and I can't blame 'em.  Defenseman like yourself with good size & a knack for moving the puck well are really valuable to a hockey team.

Being able to play the game at a high level coupled with a quality education is a great position to be in, which is what playing for the Tigers represents.  Earning a 4 year college degree is a great move, especially with life after hockey.  Of course, the Wild most likely have you penciled in to go pro around 2 years from now - being a high draft pick and all.

Some would make the argument that if a player like yourself is probably going pro in 2 years, that you would be better off playing in a pro-style league, like major junior.  Playing in the WHL means a 72 game regular season, as well as 4 rounds of 7 game series for their playoff format.  William Wrenn, also a defenseman & 2nd round pick, played 1 1/2 seasons for Denver University, as well as 1 1/2 seasons in Portland.  Ultimately he played more playoff games in the WHL than total games in his NCAA career.  That workload did wonders for his development.

Players in the WHL are required to take classes in addition to their game schedule, so they have a head start if they choose to pursue a degree later.  They also have a year of school paid for every year played, although signing a pro contract voids this benefit.

My advice to you would be to reach out to some of your new Wild family.  Nino Niederreiter would be a good one to ask about playing in Portland, how Coach Johnston runs his bench, what a long playoff run is like.  Jared Spurgeon would be a good guy to touch base with, as a D man who played in the US Division of the 'dub.  I've got to guess that you know Dominic Turgeon from both being Denver kids - ask him some questions next time you see him around town.

There are a lot of Winterhawks fans who have been excited about the idea of your brother Fredrik playing in Portland - when he visited our barn it looked like a nice fit.  For a guy who likes to play an up-tempo style, there's not a better place to play than Portland:  they love to push the pace.  A guy who makes a good first pass out of his own zone is going to rack up assists on a team like the 'Hawks.  There are tons of quality forwards to go up against in this league, which can only help you grow.

Portland is bringing back 5 of their top 6 forwards, including the top two scorers in the league.  This is a team defending a championship, and we expect them to do some damage again in the playoffs this year. They just need you to get 'em the puck.

A player like yourself is in a great position, and there is no wrong answer between playing in the NCAA and the WHL.  You would be wise to look very closely at both options, and things will work out well in the end.

Sincerely,

Chad Balcom
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