ST. PAUL, Minn. — John Hynes says there are “no concerns” from the Minnesota Wild with top goalie prospect Jesper Wallstedt. And while that’s undoubtedly true in the long-term, there’s also no doubt the Wild see enough issues with his play thus far in Iowa that they gave him this past weekend off during consecutive games in Charlotte.
It was a bit of a reset for a first-round pick who thought he would be part of a three-goalie system in Minnesota this season but instead is 3-6-1 with the Baby Wild with a 4.34 goals-against average and .860 save percentage in 10 games.
Wallstedt, who turned 22 last month, has spent the season in Iowa largely because Filip Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury have made it impossible not to play them in Minnesota. Gustavsson has been so good, he’ll likely make Team Sweden’s roster for February’s 4 Nations Face-off on Wednesday and Fleury hasn’t lost in regulation in six starts (5-0-1). Plus, the Wild have had to navigate limited cap space that makes it difficult to even afford Wallstedt. In fact, his recall to Minnesota on Tuesday was just a paper move in some salary cap gymnastics before putting injured Mats Zuccarello retroactively on long-term injured reserve.
He actually didn’t make the trip to Minnesota. But, to be blunt, Wallstedt has also given them no reason to spot-start him on a big team that entered Tuesday’s NHL action atop the league standings.
“I think it’s a situation where he’s a young guy that’s playing a lot,” Hynes said Tuesday morning. “I think he’s been very good at times. There’s been some times where he’s struggled a little bit. So the way we’re looking at it, talking with management and Iowa guys, it’s part of a growing process for him. He’s played very well at times. At times he hasn’t been at his best, but he is counted on to play big minutes, playing important games in all those situations.
“So I think it’s just the ups and downs of a young guy really going through being a No. 1 goalie and the challenges of it as well. I think it’s healthy for his development. There’s no concerns there. I think it’s part of a process of learning how to do that regularly. And can you respond if you don’t play a great game? Can you put some games together where you’re doing really well? And those are challenging for young guys, particularly in that position.”
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Last month, on colleague Joe Smith’s podcast, Fellowship of the Rink, Wallstedt admitted that in his first couple of games, he was having trouble accepting the demotion. After all, promises were made in the offseason even to the point that on the eve of the season, he signed a two-year, one-way extension starting in 2025-26.
While that signals the Wild may return next season with a Gustavsson-Wallstedt tandem as Fleury retires from the NHL, Wallstedt also thought he’d spend much of this season in the NHL. In fact, before the season, the Wild told him to get an apartment in the Twin Cities to live full-time and that he’d reside in a hotel during some of his AHL stints in Iowa.
“Basically what’s been told outside is what I heard, too,” Wallstedt said on Smith’s podcast. “I was told I was going to be in a three-goalie rotation and that was the plan as well. Obviously with injuries and everything — anything can happen. The cap space is not enough for all of us, can’t make magic with it. Unfortunately for me that was my time to go. We couldn’t find a good fit. In and out, called up or down, had to practice on my own and just figure it out. It wasn’t sustainable that time when I was up there.
“It was a better choice for me to come down and play a lot of games with Iowa and get the quality practice and get back to a routine again. That’s where we are at. I want to get up there as fast as possible. I want to get up and play games. Personally, I think I could. I want to prove that as well. I’m putting in everyday work to try to make sure when that call happens, I’m going to be in as good a position as possible.”
Wallstedt said “mentally” he wasn’t in the “best spot” those first couple of starts with Iowa in San Jose. But the reality is it’s been two months now and that can’t be used as a crutch anymore. He’s a pro, his job is to stop pucks at a much better than he has been and the Wild want him to spend this week practicing hard with goalie coach Richard Bachman in Iowa.
“I thought I was preparing for something that didn’t happen and then had to lower expectations but also stay mentally aware of what’s going on,” Wallstedt said on the podcast, adding that he opened up about his disappointment to Bachman and Minnesota goalie coach Freddy Chabot. “Overall I was just talking about the emotions and feelings around it. I had to open up and say what I felt about the situation and they had to listen to what I had to say but also speak a little bit from their side, what they’re seeing and feeling.
“We’re only humans. We’re going to have to talk to each other and figure stuff out. I got my mindset maybe more dialed in as well. Maybe making them aware of how I felt about the situation made it easier for them to work with me.”
Hynes is confident Wallstedt will rediscover the game that makes Minnesota so convinced he can be a star in the future.
“Whether you’re in the NHL or you’re in the American League, as a young guy, it’s learning how to practice, learning how to practice the day after a game, how to get yourself ready to play two, three, four games in a week depending on what their schedule is and then how to manage yourself and the mental part of it,” Hynes said. “I experienced those things with (Juuse) Saros when he started in Nashville. It was a change. And I think Jesper is going right through that same process. That’s why you have the American League is to let players be able to grow and work through things and mature and then when they get to the big stage, they have a little bit more experience in how to handle and deal with different situations.”
David Jiricek has played 10 total games between the NHL and AHL this season. (Paul Vernon / AP Photo)
Jiricek’s debut to be determined
With newcomer David Jiricek having played 10 total games between the NHL and AHL this season, the Wild plan to practice him for a while and allow him to get up to speed before getting him into the lineup.
Of course, that largely depends on injuries, too.
Hynes met with Jiricek and he understood.
“He was great to talk to, and, like he knows, too,” Hynes said. “He’s like, ‘I gotta skate, I gotta practice. I gotta see what’s going on.’ It’s been a big transition for him. I mean, it may come to a point where maybe you get injured tonight … (and) he’s got to go in, but I would say right now, the best case scenario for him is to come in and get acclimated, get back to skating, get back to practicing, seeing how we’re doing things. And then when his opportunity comes, it comes.”
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What’s interesting is because Hynes values right-shot Zach Bogosian so much, he may have to make the decision to pull Jon Merrill and put Bogosian on the left side with the right-shot Jiricek.
“We haven’t had any of those discussions yet,” Hynes said. “It’s something I think we’ll deal with down the line.”
Jiricek’s biggest weakness is considered his skating, but Hynes doesn’t see it as a problem.
“Some guys are great, great skaters,” Hynes said. “Other guys are good skaters. Normally, even if you’re classified as a slow skater in the NHL, you’re a good skater. But to me, it’s about how you play the game. Can you position yourself the right way for a rush defense? Are you willing to join the rush? To me there’s not a concern or we wouldn’t have made the move.”
Injury updates
With the Wild needing to afford a 13th forward Tuesday with Joel Eriksson Ek and Marcus Johansson question marks against the Canucks, Zuccarello was placed on LTIR retroactively so the Wild could exceed the salary cap ceiling to get Liam Ohgren onto the roster. Eriksson Ek and Johansson wound up playing, so Ohgren was scratched.
The Wild have tried to avoid LTIR so they can keep accruing cap space because it would like to add a top-six forward in advance of the trade deadline. This stops that short, but technically Wednesday, the Wild could reassign Ohgren, Wallstedt and even Ben Jones and Devin Shore to get below the ceiling. A lot depends on Jakub Lauko’s health. He was placed on retroactive injured reserve Tuesday but is said to be closest to returning.
As for defenseman Jonas Brodin, who also was placed on IR, the Wild are still waiting to see how he responds to cortisone injections with his upper body injury. The hope is he can avoid surgery.
Zuccarello, who was hurt Nov. 14, was cleared Tuesday to begin light activity.
(Top photo: Nick Wosika / Imagn Images)
