The Minnesota Wild have added a goaltending prospect to their organization by signing Mat Robson. Robson will ink a two-year entry-level contract that starts this season, after finishing his sophomore season at the University of Minnesota.
When you see a player from the Golden Gophers signing in Minnesota it’s easy to expect them to be a homegrown talent, but Robson is actually a Canadian import that has recently starred at the university. The 22-year old goaltender went undrafted before posting a .933 save percentage as a freshman and taking over as the full-time starter this year. With a .921 in 31 games, Robson was a huge part of the team but will leave school after just two years to realize his dream of becoming a professional.
The Wild will burn the first year of Robson’s contract this season, a worthwhile cost for securing the young goaltender’s services. He’ll become a restricted free agent after the 2019-20 season but immediately adds another intriguing option to a system that already had Kaapo Kahkonen. The Wild are obviously preparing for life without Devan Dubnyk, as the veteran goaltender will turn 33 in less than two months and has just two years remaining on his current contract.
Michael Russo of The Athletic was the first to break the deal on Twitter.