Wild make Dumba a healthy scratch vs. Hurricanes

Matt Dumba is taking a seat Thursday.

The Minnesota Wild are making the veteran defenseman a healthy scratch against the Carolina Hurricanes, head coach Dean Evason announced.

"We had a real good meeting," Evason said, per The Athletic's Michael Russo. "He knows why he's sitting out tonight."

Dumba said he was surprised and that "it's an organization decision."

Alex Goligoski will take Dumba's place in the lineup.

Dumba has endured a down year by his standards, with four goals and eight assists in 43 games. He's also averaging 21:12 of ice time per game, his lowest since 2016-17. Additionally, his underlying numbers are poor.

The 28-year-old has been the subject of trade rumors. Recent reports indicated that the Edmonton Oilers and Ottawa Senators are interested in Dumba's services.

Dumba carries a $6-million cap hit this season and is a pending free agent. The 2012 No. 7 pick has spent his entire 10-year career in Minnesota.