Dumba hopes his NHL experience lasts longer this time

At the age of 20, Matt Dumba already feels like a veteran. The Wild defenseman made the roster out of training camp last season and skated in 13 games before he was returned to junior hockey, where his young teammates treated him like a man with a road map to the promised land.

"Guys would always ask me what it was like [in the NHL]," Dumba said Tuesday, after a long practice on Day 5 of training camp at Xcel Energy Center. "It felt like a passing of the torch. I was giving advice to 16-year-olds, and it felt like just yesterday I was in that position, looking up to those guys who were in NHL camps."

Now that he's had a taste of the NHL, Dumba wants to take a bigger bite. Wild coach Mike Yeo said he wants his team to generate more offense from the blue line this season, and Dumba — a fleet, agile 6-footer with a big shot — has the skills to pitch in. First, Yeo said, Dumba must iron out the inconsistencies in his game while continuing to learn the intricacies of playing in the NHL.

He faces fierce competition for the sixth spot on the Wild's defensive corps. A good playoff run in the Western Hockey League and a productive summer, Dumba said, put him on course for a longer stay in Minnesota this season.

"I'm just focused on myself and what I can do for this team, on being my best," said Dumba, who had one goal and one assist in his stint with the Wild last fall. "I'm going to do whatever it takes to stay here."

Last spring, Dumba contributed eight goals and 10 assists and was plus-18 in 21 playoff games for Portland. Proud of his improved consistency, he worked all summer to build an NHL-worthy body, and he said he feels stronger than ever on the ice.

Yeo said he likes what he has seen from Dumba in early scrimmages. Through the rest of camp, he will be monitoring how effectively Dumba gets the puck to the forwards in transition; how he handles his defensive responsibilities; and how comfortable he looks at the point on the power play.

Yeo said goaltender Darcy Kuemper will make his preseason debut Thursday, when he will be in net for the first two periods at Pittsburgh. Ilya Bryzgalov will play the third.

Kuemper signed a two-year contract last Thursday, too late to make the first on-ice session of training camp the following day. He said he felt great after Tuesday's 1½-hour practice, thanks to a rigorous summer conditioning program. Kuemper spent five days a week in the gym, focusing on developing leg strength.

"That's been huge in shaking off the rust," he said. "I've been able to keep up the tempo, and everything has come back a little quicker."

Yeo reiterated he is in no hurry to decide how to deploy his goaltenders and will withhold judgment until he sees how they perform in preseason games.

The Wild signed defensemen Hunter Warner and Alex Gudbranson to three-year, entry-level contracts Tuesday. Both participated in the Wild's summer development camp, and both are among the 52 players who remain at training camp.

Goalie Alex Belanger, defenseman Tanner Faith and centers Reid Duke, Pavel Jenys and Chase Lang all were reassigned to their junior teams Tuesday.

Forwards Kyle Brodziak (back) and Justin Fontaine (groin strain) did not practice Tuesday. Brodziak skated by himself, and Yeo said Fontaine — a late scratch against Winnipeg — was not seriously injured. Both are expected to return to the ice Wednesday.