Jesper Wallstedt
Wallstedt is Minnesota's No. 1 goalie while Filip Gustavsson recovers from hip surgery, and the open question is how many starts he keeps once Gustavsson is back.
Role
As of Oct. 22 he had started nine of the Wild's first 10 games, going 6-1-2 with a 2.20 GAA and .915 save percentage (Yahoo/The Hockey News preview, Oct. 22). He led the NHL in saves at that point. Calvin Pickard is the backup and had one start through the first eight games, a 5-2 loss in Winnipeg (Duluth News Tribune/InForum, about Oct. 19). Inside the Rink's projected lines for Oct. 25 at Vancouver list Wallstedt with Pickard. That is a projection, not a confirmed starter. I did not get a readable Daily Faceoff line page: the fetch returned an empty page last updated in March, so I am not reporting anything from it. Coach John Hynes said Gustavsson's return is "quite a ways" off, with a timeline of another month at minimum. A Heavy piece from about 55 days ago said the GM allowed that Gustavsson "could be" ready one month into the season. For comparison, last season Wallstedt had 11 GP, 1 GS, 7 W, 2 L, 2 OTL, a .918 save percentage on 257 saves from 280 shots, and 23 GA.
He finished last regular season strongly. After the March 6 deadline he started nine games and went 4-3-2 with a 1.98 GAA and .930 save percentage, while Gustavsson posted a 3.22 GAA and .875 save percentage over 11 starts (NHL.com). Hynes then made him the Game 1 starter in the playoffs over the better-paid, more experienced Gustavsson, and he won the first round against Dallas. He has now carried the crease early this season for a team allowing 2.50 goals per game, sixth best in the NHL as of Oct. 22. Optimists see a goalie who has taken the job and a coach who has shown he will start whoever is hot. Heavy also notes he is in the final year of a 2-year contract and is a restricted free agent.
Most of his NHL work is last season's second half plus a small early sample, and he was not the default starter until Gustavsson faded. The Wild gave Gustavsson a five-year, $34 million extension, and the coach says he has confidence in both goalies. He allowed eight goals on 42 shots in Game 1 of the second round against Colorado and was replaced for Game 2. His 4-3 playoff record came with a .903 save percentage. The early-season workload is also a product of Gustavsson's injury, so it may not last. Once Gustavsson is healthy, the skeptics expect a split that cuts Wallstedt's starts.
Where analysts split
The question is whether Wallstedt keeps a majority of starts or goes back to a 1A/1B split once Gustavsson returns. Star Tribune coverage described a 1A/1B situation last season and Hynes has praised both goalies. Heavy argues Gustavsson will be eased back, which would leave Wallstedt more of the starts. I found no reporting from Hynes on how he would divide starts after Gustavsson returns. The return date is also unconfirmed beyond "a month, minimum."
Research confidence: reported. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
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