The Minnesota Wild have gotten strong goaltending from the Swedish tandem of Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt in 2025-26, and the pair will both represent their country at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan next month.
Wallstedt has graduated from a top prospect into a legitimate starting goalie in the National Hockey League, but his path to starts is limited by Gustavsson, who owns a full no-move clause and is signed through 2030-31.
For that reason, Wild general manager Bill Guerin could look to move on from the youngster — especially in a package to add a top-six center to the lineup. As The Athletic's Michael Russo speculated on Tuesday, Minnesota could be open to moving on from the former first-round pick.
“The Wild would be open to dealing Wallstedt, their top prospect, if the right deal comes along (especially for a No. 1-caliber center),” Russo wrote. The hockey insider believes that, if Wallstedt were shipped out, Marc-Andre Fleury could potentially return to the NHL as Gustavsson's backup.
“If Wallstedt were to be traded, Fleury could be an option rather than trading for a backup goalie in another capacity. …In that scenario, Fleury could slide right in. He’s already been a very good goalie partner and mentor for Gustavsson. He wouldn’t have to uproot his family, who are in the Twin Cities during hockey season. And Fleury would get to compete for a team that looks like a contender.”
Does trading Jesper Wallstedt make sense for Wild?
Wallstedt has put together a strong campaign in Minnesota, winning 12 of his 21 appearances while sporting a respectable 2.70 goals-against average and .914 save percentage. He has had some incredible stretches this year, but has struggled as of late and conceded the starting job to Gustavsson.
It's no secret that Guerin and the Wild's front office are looking to improve the offensive side of the puck even further after adding Quinn Hughes.
If Minnesota is committed to Gustavsson as the goalie of the future — which seems to be the case considering his strong play and contract machinations — it might make sense to get Wallstedt a change of scenery. The 23-year-old would be a starter on many teams in the National Hockey League, but right now, the Wild aren't one of them.
Sportsnet hockey insider Elliotte Friedman said on the latest episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast that Guerin may have already attempted to deal Wallstedt in his efforts to acquire a top-six pivot before the March 6 NHL Trade Deadline.
In the midst of a breakout campaign, Wallstedt has certainly improved his trade stock, and the franchise knows that. Despite the fact they could be trading away a player with the caliber to be one of the league's better goalies throughout the 2030s, the Wild are trying to win now.
And in that quest, Gustavsson seems to be the unquestioned Stanley Cup Playoff starter, not just this season, but over the next couple of campaigns as well.
It'll be intriguing to see if Guerin makes another blockbuster trade in 2025-26, and whether that will spell the end of Wallstedt's tenure in the State of Hockey. Either way, the young Swede should be one of the league's more interesting trade candidates heading into the deadline.
