The Minnesota Wild’s season has come to an end but that only opens the floodgates for speculation. The Wild face an important offseason where they need a No. 1 center, some enhancements throughout the lineup and a new contract extension for Quinn Hughes. But an interesting subplot has been the future of goaltender Jesper Wallstedt.
Wallstedt was one of the stars of the Wild’s playoff run, helping them advance out of the first round for the first time since 2015. But speaking to reporters on Friday, Wallstedt didn’t sound like a guy that was going to be buying a home over the offseason as opposed to one that believes he’s going to be traded.
“I don’t think you’re ever safe but I hope I made a good impression,” Wallstedt said via The Athletic’s Michael Russo.
Russo also noted that he hopes that “he’s somebody the Wild will continue to want” and that he “can’t envision playing elsewhere,” the current state of the franchise makes it seems he knows that a deal is coming.
Jesper Wallstedt may be as good as gone as Wild’s offseason begins
The Wild need plenty of things this offseason, but they don’t have the assets to get them. The trade to acquire Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks cost them some of their best trade chips in top-six forward Marco Rossi, prospects Liam Ohgren and Zeev Buium, and their 2026 first-round pick and the Wild sent more assets away at the trade deadline to fuel their run to the playoffs.
When the smoke cleared, Wallstedt was one of the best chips they could offer. Russo even reported on Friday that the Wild tried to send the 23-year-old along with Danila Yurov as centerpieces of a proposed trade to acquire Robert Thomas from the St. Louis Blues before it was declined and it seems like the rumors won’t stop going into the offseason.
Wallstedt played like a No. 1 goaltender in his first full season in the NHL, posting a 33-18-9 record with a .915 save percentage and 2.61 goals against average in 35 games. After taking the net from Filip Gustavsson for the playoffs, he was even better, allowing 14 goals and posting a .924 save percentage in the opening round victory over the Dallas Stars.
While he allowed eight goals in a Game 1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche and was benched for Gustavsson in Game 2, he rebounded to stop 35 of 36 shots in a Game 3 victory and has a case to be the Wild’s goaltender of the future.
The only problem is that Minnesota signed Gustavsson to a five-year, $34 million contract extension before the season that includes a full no movement clause according to Puckpedia. The Edmonton Oilers have been rumored as a potential suitor for Gustavsson, but the NMC makes it unlikely he’ll be traded.
Wallstedt’s upside also makes him a more attractive centerpiece of a deal, which means that he’ll be the first name teams will ask for if the Wild come calling for a big name including Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier of the New Jersey Devils or even a second swing at Thomas.
Add it all up and it’s reasonable that Wallstedt would be making his case to stay in Minnesota as he cleaned out his locker on Friday. But it’s more likely he’ll be the one trade piece the Wild will use to make their offseason a successful one.
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