Wild Announce Filip Gustavsson News After Playoff Exit

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Wild Announce Filip Gustavsson News After Playoff Exit

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nathan Smith | Last updated May 18, 2026 4:12 PM ET

The Minnesota Wild came into the 2025-26 season with arguably the best goaltending tandem in the entire National Hockey League, and throughout the year, it served them incredibly well.

That took them all the way to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but after starting for the majority of the season, the team turned from Filip Gustavsson, giving rising star Jesper Wallstedt starts in 10 of their 11 post-season games. The gamble did not end up paying off for coach John Hynes, as the team were blown away by the Colorado Avalanche in five games, and heading into the off-season, many believed they may need to make a decision between the two.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (32) warms up before game two of the second round of the 2026 Stanely Cup Playoffs against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena.Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

That decision has, for now at least, been delayed, as the team announced some major news at their exit interviews with the media on Monday. According to general manager Bill Guerin, Gustavsson is set to undergo off-season surgery on his hip, with uncertainty over his potential availability to begin the 2026-27 regular season.

Filip Gustavsson will have offseason surgery on his hip, Guerin. Doesn’t know if he’ll be ready to start season. They’ll know after post-op. #mnwild.
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) May 18, 2026

If Gustavsson does miss time, the team can cover that with Wallstedt, but in 50 games played this past campaign, Gustavsson had a very impressive .904 save percentage alongside a 2.69 GAA. Even with the solid play off Wallstedt, missing Gustavsson for any extended time would be a blow for the team, especially given how well the two worked in tandem throughout the regular season that just went by.

For now though, the Wild made it clear that they won't know about the recovery timeline until after the operation, but given how big an off-season it is for Minnesota heading into 2026-27, they will be optimistic that the 27-year-old can get back to 100% for the beginning of the regular season.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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