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Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt celebrates his teams shootout win (Matt Krohn-Imagn Images)

Wild’s Jesper Wallstedt Earned His Masterton Nomination Through Determination

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Mariah E. Stark | Last updated Apr 9, 2026 10:45 AM ET

The NHL postseason is fast approaching, and it’s that time of the season when every team submits its Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy nomination. The Minnesota Wild have had two winners in the past, both goaltenders, Josh Harding and Devan Dubnyk. Now they could have a third winner as another of their goaltenders has been nominated in Jesper Wallstedt.

This award has to be one of the most difficult to choose a winner for, as every single nominee has a story of how dedicated they’ve been to the game of hockey. Many of them have had to overcome a lot to get to where they are, and Wallstedt is no different. In this article, we’ll take a look at how Wallstedt started, where he is now, and why he deserves this award.

Wallstedt Highly Touted

The expectations on Jesper Wallstedt’s shoulders were high the second the Wild picked him back in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft at 20th overall. From that point on, the talk was centered around Wallstedt becoming the Wild’s future number one goaltender. They’ve had a few over the seasons, but he was expected to be different.

Over the season’s things changed; he did okay in the American Hockey League, but he wasn’t quite ready for the jump to the NHL. In his 2024-25 season, he struggled with injuries, and along with that came the mental side of things. He had a lot to live up to, and unfortunately, he struggled to get past everything that was thrown his way.

He did play in a few games over the past couple of seasons for the Wild, but it wasn’t enough time for him to get settled, and they had their roster spots full with Marc-André Fleury and Filip Gustavsson. That was until this current season, when Fleury retired and a spot opened up alongside Gustavsson which Wallstedt slid right into.

Wallstedt Steps Up

Fast forward to this season, and Wallstedt quickly proved to everyone that he is worthy of his spot. He had eight wins in his first 10 games played and is currently at 17-8-6 for a record, plus he has a 2.65 goals against average and a .915 save percentage. He also has an impressive 4 shutouts, which has him tied for third in the NHL with three other goaltenders, including his own teammate, Gustavsson.

He’s had his ups and downs this season, and he’s had to navigate strong wins and difficult losses, as well as coming in cold when his tandem partner became ill. Plus, an odd situation where he filled in for about five minutes while Gustavsson dealt with an equipment issue. The latter half of the season has proved a bit rougher for him, but he’s finding his way.

Apart from his time with the Wild, Wallstedt also spent time in the Olympics with Team Sweden alongside Gustavsson once again. Although his team didn’t do well in the Olympics, his Wild team continues to surprise, and he’s been a big piece of that.

Wallstedt Earns Award Nomination

There are quite a few impressive comeback stories this season for the Masterton Trophy, like Jonathan Toews returning to the NHL, Linus Ullmark and all he’s gone through, Gabriel Landeskog’s return, and even more. So many players are deserving of this award, it’s so hard to pick just one.

Wallstedt has had to overcome a battle with himself and his injuries to get to where he is. He didn’t get to the NHL as quickly as he hoped, but he kept at it and finally got his chance to show what he’s capable of. He’s earned his spot alongside Gustavsson, and although he’s not the main starter, it’s typically more of a 1A/1B situation.

He’s beloved by the fans as the “Wall of St.Paul,” and he’s got a patented celebration after a huge win as well that has drawn attention from other teams as well, and it’s pictured above. He may not win the award, but he’s earned the recognition of it, and hopefully, he’ll continue to persevere and show his dedication to the sport of hockey.