Wild’s Jesper Wallstedt looks like the young star goalie many expected he’d be

As we’re taught at a very young age, patience is a virtue, and that good things come to those who wait.

At one point, there was a growing amount of impatience with Jesper Wallstedt. At one point, he was considered one of the game’s top goaltending prospects. However, lackluster numbers in the minors led many to believe that the Swedish backstop was becoming a bust.

Now? The Minnesota Wild goaltender is flourishing in the spotlight, becoming one of the NHL’s hottest rookies. In 12 games, Wallstedt has a 9-1-2 record, with a 1.95 goals-against average and a .937 save percentage. Along with a seven-game winning streak that helped Minnesota move from outside the playoff picture to the top three in the Central Division, he has inserted his name into the Calder Trophy conversation.

Behind every viral celebration and big save, Wallstedt is shaving off the critics who had pushed him aside after some rough campaigns with the Wild’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Iowa Wild. He came to North America after becoming a star in his native Sweden with Luleå HF in the SHL, and was eventually picked by the Wild in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft.

Wallstedt also earned international hardware, winning the gold medal at the 2019 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship, silver at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and bronze at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship, where he was named the tournament’s best goaltender.

When Wallstedt made his pro debut with Iowa in 2022, Minnesota had an established duo in Marc-Andre Fleury and the rising Filip Gustavsson. It gave Wallstedt a year to acclimate to the North American game, resulting in a respectable rookie season, during which he was named to the AHL’s Top Prospect Team.

The 2023-24 campaign had its share of ups and downs. After a solid start in the AHL, Wallstedt made his NHL debut on Jan. 10, 2024, against the Dallas Stars.

It didn’t go well.

Wallstedt was in net for all seven goals in a 7-2 thrashing by the Stars that night. While he would gain some redemption later on, earning his first NHL win that August. However, with Iowa, the Vasteras native didn’t have the same level of confidence, and with a bad Iowa team that finished near the bottom of the AHL’s Central Division in front of him, his performance went downhill.

That carried into the 2024-25 campaign. After being Iowa’s No. 1 guy in the previous two seasons, Wallstedt’s numbers tanked. Along with winning just nine of his 27 appearances, a career-low, Wallstedt posted a 3.59 goals-against average and a .879 save percentage. He also allowed five or more goals seven times, giving up at least three goals a game in his five-game losing streak to end the season. Among qualified goaltenders, Wallstedt ranked 51st and 50th in the AHL, respectively.

Compared to fellow 2021 draft pick Sebastian Cossa, who’s knocking on the door to becoming a full-time member of the Detroit Red Wings, Wallstedt’s development looked to be heading in the opposite direction. Yet, even during the dog days in Des Moines, Wallstedt stayed optimistic that he would get a shot at the big time.

“I did not feel that I might not have another shot at the NHL,” Wallstedt told Daily Faceoff last week. “I was confident that I was going to be able to get back to success. Maybe not this fast, but I always knew I had the capabilities of playing in the NHL.”

With Fleury on his way toward retirement, the backup role behind Gustavsson was seemingly going to be handed to Wallstedt. However, there were questions about whether Wallstedt had what it took to help the Wild remain a playoff contender.

After Gustavsson suffered some early-season struggles, Wallstedt started to find a groove in November. He won seven games in a row, including posting four shutouts in a six-game span. He became the first rookie goaltender to do so since 1938, when Boston Bruins legend Frank “Mr. Zero” Brimsek accomplished the feat. Coincidentally, the fourth donut came against the Edmonton Oilers, the team that traded away the 20th pick in the 2021 draft to Minnesota, allowing the Wild to take Wallstedt.

Wallstedt noted that his belief in himself is what has helped him thrive with Minnesota this season.

“I felt very confident that my game plan and the way I play would be successful in the NHL. Obviously, with hard work and everything, I felt like I had a good chance. Like I said, maybe not as good as it’s been, but I always trusted, and kind of inside of myself felt, that I would be able to succeed.”

While it seems as if Gustavsson is still being tabbed as the Wild’s starting goaltender, Walltstedt has managed to give him a run for his money, to the benefit of the team as a whole. Head coach John Hynes has the luxury of entrusting either of his netminders to give the group a chance to win – one of Wallstedt’s main goals this year, along with improving his game during his first full season in the NHL.

“I think for myself, it’s always going to be to win as many games as possible. … Always try to keep my team in the game, and just keep getting better every day. There’s, hopefully, a lot more games coming up and a lot more years, hopefully. But, always try to improve every day, have fun in practice, and kind of push everyone else to become better and also for myself just to improve.”