The Minnesota Wild continue to solidify their roster after already giving Kirill Kaprizov the richest contract in the league earlier this week. The Wild also agreed to a contract extension with starting goaltender Filip Gustavsson on Saturday morning, via Michael Russo. Gustavsson will receive $6.8 million annually over five years, with the deal commencing in the 2026-27 season.
The Wild made a promise to Kaprizov that they will continue to add pieces around him, despite his massive contract taking up a large percentage of the cap. It's a good move by Guerin to lock in the team's starting goaltender for the next six years, as Gustavsson has shown an ability to be reliable. Kaprizov, Gustavsson, and defenseman Brock Faber are a great starting point for a contending core.
Gustavsson will be the bona fide No. 1 starter for the first time after sharing the net with Marc-Andre Fleury for the past three seasons. The Swedish netminder had a tremendous bounce-back season in 2024-25, recording a 2.56 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage over 56 games. When Kaprizov suffered an injury mid-way through the season, Gustavsson was a big reason why the Wild still clinched a playoff spot.
Gustavsson has also been a reliable playoff performer, owning a 2.71 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage in last year's first-round loss. The Wild's offense failed to provide him with much support, but the hope is that it will improve with a fully healthy Kaprizov and a developing young core.
Filip Gustavsson will likely have a fellow Swedish netminder as his tandem-mate going forward. Jesper Wallstedt has been a top prospect in the Wild's organization since they drafted him in the first round in 2021, but he has always had Fleury and Gustavsson as roadblocks in his three years in North America. Minnesota believes that this tandem will be a strength of their team in the post-Fleury era.
