2:27 pm: Per The Athletic’s Michael Russo, Mathew Dumba has officially been activated in advance of this afternoon’s game against the Dallas Stars. To make room, forward Jordan Greenway has been placed on injured-reserve retroactively (Tweet).
12:43 pm: The Minnesota Wild are expected to activate defenseman Dumba off of injured-reserve in time for today’s game against the Dallas Stars, reports The Athletic’s Michael Russo (tweet). Dumba last played for the Wild on February 12th before being placed on injured-reserve.
The defenseman has been a mainstay on the Minnesota blue-line for years and this year is no exception. Currently, he leads the Minnesota Wild in average time-on-ice at 23:37, along with four goals and 16 assists in 40 games this season. Even though the Wild have a strong defensive core, the loss of their leading defenseman has not been welcomed.
Dumba’s return could not come any sooner for the Wild, with the team struggling greatly as of late, going 3-7-0 in 10 games since the injury. The team also begins a stretch of four games in six days tonight at home against the Dallas Stars. Minnesota sits in third place in the Central Division, but is only two points ahead of the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, which belongs to those Dallas Stars. Wild GM Bill Guerin has reiterated his confidence in the team heading into the trade deadline, and Dumba’s return to the lineup could play as an addition in itself, potentially sparking the team and getting it back on track.