Dubnyk knows about the highs and lows of an NHL career.
In little more than a calendar year, the Regina, Saskatchewan-born, Calgary-raised goaltender went from being fourth on his team's depth chart to becoming a contender for the Vezina and Hart trophies.
Dubnyk knows about the highs and lows of an NHL career.
In little more than a calendar year, the Regina, Saskatchewan-born, Calgary-raised goaltender went from being fourth on his team's depth chart to becoming a contender for the Vezina and Hart trophies.
Dubnyk broke into the League with the Edmonton Oilers during the 2009-10 season. His play improved and he earned the starting job; from 2010-2013 he had a .917 save percentage and 2.58 goals-against average.
But in 2013-14, everything fell apart. Dubnyk opened the season by allowing 10 goals on 59 shots in back-to-back losses to the Winnipeg Jets and Vancouver Canucks. A .891 save percentage and 3.43 GAA in 32 appearances led to Dubnyk being traded to the Nashville Predators on Jan. 15, 2014.
He allowed nine goals over two starts for Nashville and was again traded, this time to the Montreal Canadiens. He made eight appearances the rest of the season, all in the AHL. Sitting fourth on the depth chart for the playoff-bound Canadiens, Dubnyk asked to leave the team and go home to Edmonton to be with his family.
But three events would soon change everything. After signing a one-year contract with the Arizona Coyotes, Dubnyk picked up a new style of goaltending at a summer fitness camp, enjoyed a confidence boost working with Coyotes goalie coach Sean Burke and, exactly one year after being traded by Edmonton, was traded to the Minnesota Wild for a third-round draft pick.
Buoyed by the teachings of the so-called "Head Trajectory" technique that helped Dubnyk maximize his massive 6-foot-6 frame, he posted an 18-save shutout against the Buffalo Sabres in his first start with the Wild, on Jan. 15, 2015. In 39 starts with Minnesota, Dubnyk won 27 games, had a .936 save percentage and 1.78 GAA and helped the Wild make the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
With his second-half performance in 2014-15, Dubnyk finished third in Vezina Trophy voting, fourth in Hart Trophy balloting and won the Bill Masterton Trophy for dedication to hockey. After the season, Dubnyk signed a six-year, $26 million free-agent contract with the Wild. He made his first appearance in the NHL All-Star Game in 2016.
