Wild’s Playoff Hopes Dwindle Due to Struggles in Net

There’s perhaps eternal optimists out there who believe the Wild can make a comeback in the standings, but it’s safe to say that the Wild aren’t going to be looking to add playoff pieces to their roster before the trade deadline on Friday. And even if they were looking to bring in new talent to help boost the club’s goal-scoring, their goaltending is still a gaping wound that could singlehandedly derail the club’s effort to make it to the postseason. It all comes back to Marc-Andre Fleury and Filip Gustavsson.

What Happened to Filip Gustavsson?

Gustavsson’s sudden fall from grace has hit hard and fast. During the 2022-23 season — his first season with the Wild — the Swedish netminder injected consistency and promise into an organization that has been searching for the necessary pieces to make a big splash in the postseason. The Wild traded goaltender Cam Talbot to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Gustavsson last season, and the Swede immediately brought his A-game.

He put up a .931 save percentage over 39 games during the 2022-2023 season, allowing just 2.10 goals per game. While he may not have been given the most challenging games last season, Gustavsson proved that he belonged on the roster. The netminder said it felt “awesome” to be winning as much as they were last season. “The way we’re playing right now, we have a chance to win every game,” Gustavsson said. Fans affectionately referred to Gustavsson as the “Gus Bus” — everything seemed just right following the trade.

Fast forward to the 2023-24 season. Gustavsson has a .892 save percentage over 37 games, and he’s allowed in 3.30 goals per game. The initial excitement about the backup goaltender has washed away, and there’s been virtually no talk about the stellar performance of the “Gus Bus.”

Just after the New Jersey Devils fired head coach Lindy Ruff, Joe Smith took to X, writing: “I don’t know, maybe a team’s goaltending plays a role when an NHL coach is fired. Three of the four lowest in save % of this season changed coaches.” And while Smith was trying to draw attention to New Jersey’s recent goaltending woes, the Wild were right there next to them, with an average .894 save percentage — good enough for fourth-worst in the league.

It’s possible the Wild relieving head coach Dean Evason of his duties earlier this season has had an impact on the club’s ability to stop pucks, but the fact remains: playoff teams find ways to keep pucks out of their own net. It’s an exercise in futility to speculate on why Gustavsson has massively underperformed this season, but it’s perhaps important for the upper brass in St. Paul to consider the alternative.

Enter Jesper Wallstedt.

Wild’s Goaltending Future

With Wallstedt — the 20th overall pick by the Wild in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft — waiting in the wings, one has to wonder when it’ll be his time to come up from the Iowa Wild and give it a go in The Show. The organization doesn’t have to rush his development, but it could be helpful to get the Swede more high-octane games to prepare him for the future.

With Fleury in the twilight of his career and Gustavsson’s lukewarm performance, it seems reasonable to suggest that Wallstedt could play under the lights in St. Paul sooner than some expected. So far this season, Wallstedt has put up a .906 save percentage over 33 games, allowing 2.81 goals per game. While the Swedish netminder has been able to hold his own in Iowa, he’s just 21 years old and has a lot of room for development.

Wallstedt made his NHL debut on Jan. 10 against the Dallas Stars — one of the best teams in the Central Division. Smith wrote that it “wasn’t an easy assignment for Wallstedt, facing a really good Stars team, on the road, on national TV, in his first NHL game. (from ‘Wild give Jesper Wallstedt no help in debut to forget: Key takeaways vs. Stars,’ The Athletic, 01/10/2024)” Wallstedt allowed seven goals on just 34 shots, which isn’t much different than Gustavsson’s performance throughout this season.

Final Thoughts

With the Wild’s playoffs aspirations swirling closer to the drain, it could be a good thing to bring Wallstedt in for a few games to close out the season. The more touches he gets at the highest level, the more prepared he’ll be when it’s finally his time to take on the brunt of the workload after Andre’s impending retirement. Additionally, he’d have the opportunity to be mentored by Fleury — one of the greatest and most beloved hockey players to suit up.

Over the past 10 seasons, the Wild have made the playoffs eight times. However, they have made it past the first round just one time in franchise history. There’s certainly a lot of work that needs to be done to make this club a Stanley Cup contender, but one of the most glaring issues right now is goaltending.