Wild could revisit Jesper Wallstedt trade this summer

The Minnesota Wild made a couple of small additions ahead of Friday’s NHL Trade deadline, reuniting the Foligno brothers while also bringing Bobby Brink, Michael McCarron and Jeff Petry to the State of Hockey.

General manager Bill Guerin already made the trade of the season earlier this year, acquiring superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks back in December. While the Wild also made a significant offer for New York Rangers forward and Team USA gold medalist Vincent Trocheck, he was unable to bring the star to Minnesota.

Another player who was reportedly dangled in trade talks is top goaltending prospect Jesper Wallstedt, who got off to an incredible start in 2025-26 but has faded as of late and settled into a backup role behind Filip Gustavsson — as he did with Team Sweden at the Olympics.

Although Wallstedt wasn’t moved ahead of the deadline, it’s expected that the Wild will revisit a potential trade for the 23-year-old in the offseason, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reported on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio over the weekend.

Wallstedt has managed a 14-6-5 record over 25 starts this season, recording a .911 save percentage and 2.81 goals-against average in that span.

Did the Wild do enough at the trade deadline?

At this point, Wallstedt is certainly Minnesota’s top trade chip. With Gustavsson in his prime and signed until the end of the 2030-31 season, there really is no path to the young Swede being a starting goalie for the franchise.

The same can’t be said for various other NHL teams who are looking to upgrade between the pipes not only next season, but for the long haul. While Wallstedt hovered in the franchise’s search for a top-six center, Guerin and the front office decided not to cash in on one of the organization’s most significant future assets.

It seems like discussions surrounding Wallstedt will pick up again in the offseason, but as it stands right now, the Wild might have a tougher path to the Stanley Cup Final than any other squad.

They’re almost locked into a Round 1 matchup against a Dallas Stars team that just had a franchise-record 10-game winning streak snapped. They’ve still picked up a point in 13 straight, and haven’t lost in regulation since Jan. 22.

If Minnesota is able to beat Dallas, most likely awaiting in the second round is a powerhouse Colorado Avalanche team that is leading the President’s Trophy race, and just got even better with the addition of star center Nazem Kadri.

Right now, Ryan Hartman is the Wild’s top-line center, with Joel Eriksson Ek manning 2C. While the roster is flush with star power, the depth down the middle leaves a lot to be desired — especially for a club that fashions itself a legitimate contender.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Wild can get through the Stars, and, potentially, the Avalanche. It’s an absolute gauntlet, but if they can find a way, they’ll be able to beat any team this spring.

Either way, expect Guerin to again go star hunting in the offseason, and Wallstedt could be getting a change of scenery as part of that quest.