Wild’s Gustavsson to have offseason hip surgery

Gustavsson is coming off a roller-coaster 2025-26 campaign. He had a bumpy beginning to the season, briefly losing the starting job to Jesper Wallstedt. However, he recovered in the second half and played a key role in helping the Wild finish third in the ever-competitive Central Division. Gustavsson made 49 starts, posting a record of 28-15-6, with a 2.69 goals-against average, a .904 save percentage and four shutouts.

When the Stanley Cup Playoffs came around, head coach John Hynes went with Wallstedt over Gustavsson. The move paid off, as Minnesota defeated the Dallas Stars in six games, marking the franchise’s first postseason series win in 11 years. Gustavsson saw one game in the playoffs, starting Game 2 of the second round against the Colorado Avalanche, giving up four goals on 22 shots in a 5-2 loss. Wallstedt was back in net in the third game of the series, playing the final three games before the Wild was eliminated.

The injury news for the 27-year-old might change Guerin and company’s plans for the offseason. With two starting netminders in their mitts, the Wild might’ve looked at moving one of them. However, that’s most likely no longer the case. Gustavsson was nearing the end of a three-year contract he signed with the Wild in July 2023. He’s set to begin a five-year contract next fall, with a cap hit of $6.8 million through the 2030-31 campaign. He currently has a no-move clause until the summer of 2028, with a modified no-trade clause for the final three seasons of his next deal.

In 219 regular-season NHL games, Gustavsson has a career record of 111-74-26, with a 2.67 GAA, a .911 SV% and 15 shutouts. In 12 postseason contests, he is 4-7, also with a 2.67 GAA and .911 SV%.