ST. PAUL, Minn. — Jesper Wallstedt is considered the Minnesota Wild’s goalie of the future, but the No. 20 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft knows he’s not there yet.
“There’s lots of hard work to do to get there,” the 19-year-old said. “I’m not a guaranteed NHL player because I was drafted in the first round.”
Wallstedt’s play, though, has solidified his standing as a top prospect for the Wild.
He led the Swedish Hockey League with a 1.98 goals-against average and was fourth with a .918 save percentage in 22 games with Lulea last season. And he helped Sweden finish third at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship, going 3-2 with a 1.62 GAA and .940 save percentage in five games.
The Wild’s plan for Wallstedt this season is for him to play for Iowa of the American Hockey League as he gets comfortable with the smaller ice surfaces on North American rinks.
“It’s really important to get acclimated to the North American game,” Wild general manager Bill Guerin said. “It’s a process that he’s going to have to go through to make it to the NHL. We want to make sure we as a staff do the right things and don’t rush him.”
Wallstedt (6-foot-3, 214 pounds) is a big presence in goal and feels his style of play is a cross between retired NHL stars Henrik Lundqvist and Martin Brodeur. Wallstedt’s ability to play sharp lines positionally and his knack for stopping and swallowing a first shot is a big reason why he’s regarded so highly.
But the Wild don’t want to rush him to the NHL, even if he is considered their goalie of the future.
“It can be a long process,” Wild director of player development Brad Bombardier said. “We just have to be patient with him. It’s going to take a while. He’s a young kid.”
The Wild are set in goal for now. Marc-Andre Fleury, who signed a two-year, $7 million contract ($3.5 million average annual value) on July 7, is expected to be the Wild’s No. 1 goalie this season, with Filip Gustavsson expected to be his backup.
Wallstedt understands there are areas of his game he can improve, including his explosiveness and quicker lateral movements with his feet, especially as he adjusts to North American rinks.
“There’s some different angles,” he said. “You can make some more movements on your feet. In Sweden the passes can become much longer from side to side. Here it’s a little bit tighter, so try to stay on their feet a little bit more often. But there’s some things we’ re going to have to discuss when the season starts. See what fits me and how I want to play those situations.”
Wallstedt is willing to be patient and put in the work to improve his game to earn an eventual move to the NHL.
“Just need to put in my work there,” he said. “Hopefully someday I can prove to myself and to the organization that I deserve a spot in the highest level.”
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