Wallstedt bounces back with ‘quite a turnaround’ this season

Jesper Wallstedt was candid in speaking with the media after taking a loss in net with the Wild on Dec. 15, 2024. His play at that time, and throughout the season spent mostly with the Iowa Wild, wasn’t up to the standards he wanted. 

He always trusted his game, he said at the time, but his head wasn’t in the right spot. He worked with sports psychologists then, and he still does, adding that it’s important to continue when things are going well, too. 

The work he’s put into himself and his game, on and off the ice, have paid off for a bounce-back season spent with Minnesota.

“You just don’t take this for granted,” Wallstedt said after a recent practice. “I enjoy every day I get to spend here. Play hockey for a living." 

“It’s been quite a turnaround from where I was last year.” 

His first full regular season in the NHL ended with a 18-9-6 record in 33 starts with a 2.61 goals-against average and five shutouts. His .916 save percentage ranked second among NHL goaltenders this season. His 17th win of the season on April 7 against Seattle also notched a new franchise record for the most wins in a season by a rookie goaltender.

The 23-year-old has had a fun season making great saves and showing a little emotion when he could, with a signature shooting-the-arrow celebration he’s shown off after a shootout victory, for example. 

“That’s kind of one of the times when goalies can actually kind of show a little bit of emotion or celebrate,” Wallstedt said. “I think it’s a good time to show who we are and have your kind of personal celly or so on.” 

He knew what he had to do after a disappointing 2024-25 season, when he lost two starts with Minnesota, giving up eight goals. He also went 9-14-5 with a 3.59 goals-against average and .879 save percentage for the Iowa Wild.

“Obviously, I knew I could do better,” Wallstedt said. “I knew I had to show some improvement from last year. But it’s been fun. The team has been great. I think we’ve played a good style of hockey for me to succeed behind, and obviously I’m just trying to do the work every day and improve. 

“With that, I felt like the results have been coming my way as well.” 

Headed into his first Stanley Cup Playoffs with a series against Dallas, Wallstedt said he’s playing his best game at the moment. 

“I think I’ve improved a bunch over the year,” Wallstedt said. “I think coming from last year, was very open to trying new stuff and very open to taking obviously practice first and the development first. 

“I think I’ve done a good job of sticking with it and trying to improve every day and get a little better.” 

Since the calendar turned to March, Wallstedt has allowed two-or-fewer goals in eight of his nine starts, winning four of his last five games to end the regular season. He’s also nominated for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, an annual award presented to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

His success didn’t just happen. Wild coach John Hynes pointed back to the good summer last offseason when Wallstedt took the lessons and acted on them, along with making a sacrifice and commitment to come back early last summer and put himself in a good spot both physically and mentally. Hynes noted how good Wallstedt looked right from the start of training camp in the fall, impressing in many facets including his practice habits, fitness level, mental consistency and ability to focus. 

“Then the other part is just handling adversity,” Hynes said. “I think he’s been very consistent this year, and I think for any player, you’re going to go through ups and downs, but his downs weren’t too down, and his highs weren’t too high. 

“I think he’s been pretty consistent in the way that he’s been able to go about his business. He allowed himself to be able to do that by the commitment that he made between last season and the start of the season.” 

Wallstedt’s season started with a 4-3 shootout win over the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 13. He took a couple of overtime losses before having a very solid November with seven wins in a row – with four shutouts – from Nov. 7 through Dec. 2, matching the overall success of the Wild during that month. Two of those shutouts came in back-to-back games for Wallstedt, making him the first rookie in Wild history with consecutive shutouts with his 36 saves Nov. 9 against Calgary and 28 saves Nov. 15 vs. Anaheim in a pair of 2-0 Wild victories. 

His undefeated November (6-0-0 with an NHL-best 1.14 goals-against average and .967 save percentage) earned him NHL Rookie of the Month honors for November. 

“I had that run in November where everything we just clicking for me and for the team,” Wallstedt said. “We were playing so good, and especially defensively where we just shut everything down. Obviously, that builds confidence to where we’re at now.” 

He was also rewarded this season with a trip to the Olympics representing Team Sweden in Italy this winter where he was a back-up goalie.

His teammate Filip Gustavsson joined him on Team Sweden. The goaltending duo has been a tandem for the Wild all season. Just before the playoffs, Hynes praised both of them for being excellent goaltenders throughout the season, adding about Wallstedt that he’s a “top-end NHL goalie” who’s come a long way in his development. Gustavsson noted the maturity, knowing what works and what doesn’t work, that’s come with Wallstedt’s improvement this season.

“Obviously, he had a tough year last year,” Gustavsson said. “Injuries and never got really going, and then night in, night out, he’s always giving the team a chance to win, and it’s nice to have a duo like that. 

“When he’s in the pipes, the team has a better, high chance to win anyway.” 

Wallstedt is playing with confidence this season, and especially as a rookie with a playoff debut right in front of him. He knows there might be some nerves in high-stakes games like the playoffs, but he said that’s a good thing. 

“I like being nervous,” Wallstedt said. “I think when you get some extra nerves, it kind of means a little bit extra to you. I think that’s a sign of, that it matters and you want to do well.”