When will the Wild’s starter’s net be Filip Gustavsson’s to take?
While the Minnesota Wild has a strong defensive structure in front of their goaltenders, there is still a need for netminders that can stop the pucks effectively when the structure breaks down in front of them. Really, the 6th-ranked goals against average last season the Wild had is a combination of the defense and goaltending. Let’s dive into what the goaltender depth looks like for the coming season.
KEY UPDATES: RFA Filip Gustavsson re-signed
A key piece of offseason business for the Wild was the re-signing of the restricted free agent Gustavsson. He went 22-9-7 with a .931 save percentage and a 2.10 goals against average last year. Were it not for the existence of Linus Ullmark and his unreal season with the Boston Bruins, it’s likely that more hype of Gustavsson in the Vezina Trophy discussion could have been had. Still, the young goaltender had a very strong season and earned the coach’s trust down the stretch of the regular season.
The Wild seem to believe Gustavsson is their future starter, but the deployment of the goaltenders last season was much more of a tandem than a true starter-backup.
Some of that could be due, in part, to Marc-Andre Fleury’s age. Fleury posted a 22-16-4 record with a .908 save percentage and a 2.85 goals against average, which was much more league average than his traditionally elite showings of seasons past. He was eventually relegated to a backup for the playoffs after he allowed seven goals on 37 shots on goal in Game 2, letting Dallas tie the series and swing momentum away from the Wild. He’d only make one more appearance in relief in Game 6, where the Stars eliminated the Wild after Gustavsson allowed three goals on 26 shots through two periods.
With Fleury signed for one more season, it’s likely that the team will once again deploy a tandem arrangement in net. That will allow Gustavsson to get more experience at the NHL level and keep him fresh come the playoffs, but if Fleury continues to turn in average statistics, they’ll have the flexibility to shift that strategy as the season plays out.
Should a third NHL-caliber goaltender be needed (say, because of injuries), the Wild look set with Jesper Wallstedt making big waves in the American Hockey League. He, too, looks like a starter-of-the-future type with strong performances on the national stage to go with his first full season with the Iowa Wild this past season. He’ll continue playing big minutes for AHL Iowa, which is useful for the farm team since the depth behind Wallstedt gets significantly thinner.
DEPTH CHART:
Filip Gustavsson
Marc-Andre Fleury
Jesper Wallstedt
Hunter Jones
OUTLOOK:
Honestly, the depth in goal should excite any Wild fan. If Fleury stumbles, or wishes to make one more magical chase for the Stanley Cup at the trade deadline a la Jonathan Quick with the Vegas Golden Knights last year, they’ve got a good third goaltender that could come in and make an immediate impact (or at the very least be league average, which is what is really needed in a backup goaltender.) Depth is always important as injuries inevitably happen, too. Considering the defensive structure the team plays in front of them, it’s not unreasonable to see the goaltending tandem in Minnesota to be amongst the top in the league in any statistical category, regardless of who is in the net.