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Minnesota signs first-round pick Dumba to three-year deal

Mathew Dumba 2

The Minnesota Wild have signed Mathew Dumba -- taken seventh overall at the 2012 NHL Entry Draft -- to a three-year entry-level contract. Financial terms of the deal were not released.

Dumba, who doesn’t turn 18 until July 25, is officially the youngest player signed to the Wild. The WHL Red Deer product recently played to rave reviews at Minnesota’s prospect development camp, showing a blend of physicality and offensive skill that had him marked as one of the best defensemen from this year’s draft crop.

While it seems unlikely that Dumba will play in Minnesota next year -- in addition to being young, he’s only 5-foot-11, 184 pounds -- there is an outside chance he could compete for a spot on the Wild’s relatively thin blueline.

In all likelihood, though, he’ll be going back to the WHL, a league that he dominated a season ago. Dumba led all defensemen with 20 goals and chipped in with 37 assists. He also led Red Deer in power play goals (nine) and, in 2010-11, was the WHL’s Rookie of the Year.