Folin, Dumba impressing as Wild near decision on defensemen
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The makeshift stall was centered along one edge of the Minnesota Wild locker room and positioned in front of the coach's wipe board.
Christian Folin took off his equipment following Wednesday's practice and sat down in a padded folding chair to untie his skates, flanked on each side by the wooden locker stalls of his teammates.
"I got the best seat of the house," Folin joked as he looked across the locker room. "Can't get any better."
Folin is hoping to secure a permanent stall when Minnesota opens the regular season on Oct. 9 at home against the Colorado Avalanche. Folin, the Wild rookie who has one regular-season game under his belt, is among a group of defensemen vying for likely two spots on Minnesota's season-opening roster.
Experience could have been a factor in Folin's fate this week, left to occupy the temporary set-up in the middle of the Wild dressing room because the team's training-camp roster is one over the total number of permanent spaces for players. Soon the room will clear out further.
Signed as a college free agent in March, Folin and 2012 first-round draft pick Mathew Dumba hope to stay in the NHL with the Wild. No matter where they land, both will be playing their first full professional season.
"I've been impressed with both guys," head coach Mike Yeo said. "Both guys have shown that they bring intangibles, they bring qualities that are unique and that's what we're looking for. If we're looking for a big, solid, heavy defender, then we've got one option; and if we're looking for more of a puck-moving, skating, offensive-minded guy then we have another option."
The Wild have two preseason games left to sort out which options they want to keep. There could be room for Folin and Dumba along with veteran Keith Ballard. Minnesota's crowded defensive group also includes Stu Bickel, Gustav Olofsson, Jon Blum, Justin Falk and Nate Prosser, who was claimed off waivers from the St. Louis Blues on Thursday.
Prosser had played parts of the last five seasons with the Wild before joining St. Louis in the offseason, but he was waived by the Blues this week.
Folin, Dumba, Bickel, Blum and Falk will play in Thursday night's preseason game at St. Louis.
"Not to say that game is going to be the deciding factor but if you want to compare it to school, it's going to be your final exam," Yeo said. "And probably the grades in that one are going to count a little bit more than the ones from the start of the year. We will evaluate everything as a whole, but again, what we're looking for is the progress."
Minnesota's top-four defenseman of Ryan Suter, Jonas Brodin, Jared Spurgeon and Marco Scandella each played more than 18 minutes a game last season, providing a reliable, workhorse foundation for the defense.
Folin and Dumba are part of the next wave for the Wild.
Dumba, 20, has been waiting for his shot since being selected seventh overall in the 2012 draft. He stayed with the team out of training camp in 2012 but was later sent back to his junior team without playing a game. He played 13 games last season and had one goal and an assist.
"I feel like I'm doing a lot of good things right now," Dumba said. "My skating, just everything, it's all coming together and it feels really good. I think I'm on top of my game right now. I'm happy with the summer that I had and happy the way I came in, so I just got to continue doing that.
"That's what it's about, being a pro, that consistency. If I can just keep doing that over the next couple weeks, if all goes as planned, I hope that I stay here."
Dumba has three assists in the preseason while also playing on the power play.
"It's fun having a guy out there that you know he's going to move the puck, and he's going to join and he's going to create things offensively and help our forwards offensively by being aggressive," forward Jason Pominville said. "I think he brings a lot to the table. Obviously he's still young but he has a bright future with us for sure."
Folin has been with Minnesota since he signed out of UMass-Lowell in March. One of the most sought-after college free agents, Folin joined the Wild and played one game.
"It was a huge help for me just training this summer," Folin said. "I obviously saw how the guys prepared every day and just little things like that really sunk into my brain, and that's what I've been trying to do this summer. Trying to come in in the best shape of my life and try to be a player they can rely on here."
Folin's latest impression on Thursday will be against the same team he faced in his debut. He had an assist and was a plus-3 in playing 19:26 against St. Louis in April.
"I don't think that these guys are coming in and feeling completely overwhelmed with just the newness of the systems and the teammates, and certainly that helps," Yeo said.
A permanent locker stall would help them feel comfortable, as well.
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