The Minnesota Wild appear to be in on the Jonathan Drouin sweepstakes, but he won't come cheap.
This according to Michael Russo of the Star-Tribune, who reported on his weekly podcast that the Tampa Bay Lightning covet a talented, young, right-handed defenseman.
To get Drouin, it would probably cost Matt Dumba. That's what I'm being told. That is who the Lightning want - and the Wild, if they haven't already agreed to that being the price, (are) definitely considering that.
It's very clear right now that (Wild GM) Chuck Fletcher is trying to give this team a shot in the arm. They're bland on the ice.
Further to that, Pierre LeBrun of ESPN lists the Wild as a team that has talked to the Lightning about Drouin, although he argues they may be more interested in adding a center and may not have all the pieces to make a fit with Tampa Bay.
The Wild sit seven points up in the Western Conference wild card race, with a 14th-ranked offense that's scoring 2.63 goals per game. Minnesota boasts another four defenseman age 25 or under on the roster, and could deal from a position of strength to help boost the forward ranks.
Dumba, 21, was drafted seventh overall by the Wild in 2012, and has been brought along slowly, spending time in both the WHL and AHL since being drafted. This season, he's appeared in 43 games, with five goals and six assists while averaging slightly above 16 minutes a night.
- With h/t to Pro Hockey Talk
