Wallstedt is expected to start on the road against Nashville on Thursday, per Dylan Loucks of The Hockey News.
Wallstedt has an 18-9-6 record, 2.61 GAA and .915 save percentage in 35 regular-season appearances with Minnesota in 2025-26. He's likely to be leaned on heavily at the start of the 2026-27 campaign because Filip Gustavsson (hip) is expected to be out until at least early November. Calvin Pickard will serve as the backup Thursday, and he might get the occasional start during Gustavsson's absence.
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Wild's Jesper Wallstedt: Another close loss
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Wallstedt stopped 16 of 18 shots in Friday's 2-1 preseason loss to the Stars.
Wallstedt lost both of his preseason outings, giving up three goals on 42 shots. He faced an NHL-caliber roster Friday, so the narrow loss is nothing to be concerned about. Expect to see a heavy amount of starts for Wallstedt while Filip Gustavsson (hip) finishes his recovery early in 2026-27.
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Wild's Jesper Wallstedt: Gets no help in preseason loss
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Wallstedt stopped 22 of 24 shots in Wednesday's 2-0 preseason loss to the Stars.
Wallstedt was tasked with his first start of the preseason, but the team in front of him was largely an AHL-level roster. In that context, this was a good performance for Wallstedt, who will also play in Minnesota's preseason finale at home versus the Stars on Friday. The 23-year-old netminder will carry a heavy load in goal to begin 2026-27 while Filip Gustavsson (hip) misses the first month-plus of the campaign.
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Wild's Jesper Wallstedt: Starting final two preseason games
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Wallstedt will defend the road net against Dallas on Wednesday and patrol the home crease against the Stars on Friday, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports.
Wallstedt will get the nod for the Wild in the team's final two preseason games to help him prepare for the start of the 2026-27 campaign. He went 18-9-6 with four shutouts, a 2.61 GAA and a .915 save percentage across 35 NHL appearances during the 2025-26 regular season.
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Wild's Jesper Wallstedt: Blows lead in overtime loss
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Wallstedt stopped 30 of 34 shots in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Avalanche in Game 5.
The Wild charged out to a 3-0 lead after one period, but Wallstedt couldn't make it stick. That result eliminated Minnesota, though Wallstedt was largely successful with a 2.77 GAA and a .909 save percentage despite going 5-5 over 10 playoff contests. The 23-year-old netminder will be in a contract year in 2026-27, which is also the first season of Filip Gustavsson's five-year extension. The two make a formidable tandem, which will give Wallstedt appeal as a low-end fantasy No. 2 in drafts in the fall.
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Wild's Jesper Wallstedt: Guarding goal in Game 4
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Wallstedt will patrol the home crease against Colorado on Monday in Game 4, Dan Rosen of NHL.com reports.
Wallstedt is coming off a 35-save performance in Game 3's 5-1 win over the Avalanche on Saturday. He has stopped 240 of 263 shots (.913 save percentage) en route to a 5-3 record through eight appearances this postseason. Colorado has scored 28 goals in only seven outings during the playoffs.
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Wild's Jesper Wallstedt: Rebounds with win
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Wallstedt stopped 35 of 36 shots in Saturday's 5-1 win over the Avalanche in Game 3.
Wallstedt was benched for Game 2 after giving up eight goals on 42 shots in the series opener. Filip Gustavsson fared no better in his first start of the postseason, so Wallstedt was given another chance and delivered his best performance yet to help the Wild avoid a daunting deficit. He's now 5-3 with a 2.61 GAA and a .913 save percentage over eight playoff outings. With Wallstedt getting back in a groove, expect him to get the nod again Monday in Game 4.
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Wild's Jesper Wallstedt: Starting Game 3
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Wallstedt will patrol the home crease against Colorado on Saturday in Game 3, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports.
Wallstedt will return to the crease after Filip Gustavsson played in Tuesday's 5-2 defeat against the Avalanche. The 23-year-old Wallstedt allowed eight goals on 42 shots in Game 1's 9-6 loss to Colorado, with the final tally being an empty-netter. He has allowed 22 goals on 227 shots en route to a 4-3 record in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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Wild's Jesper Wallstedt: Left out to dry in Game 1 loss
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Wallstedt stopped 34 of 42 shots in Sunday's 9-6 loss to the Avalanche in Game 1. The ninth goal was an empty-netter.
Defense was optional in this contest, and that didn't do Wallstedt any favors. He allowed three goals in a span of 2:01 in the middle of the first period, but it was two more tallies over 2:22 in the third that did him in. Wallstedt was entrusted with the crease to begin the first round against the Stars, but he likely can't afford to have another performance like this one, especially with a veteran in Filip Gustavsson waiting in the wings. Wallstedt is 4-3 with a 2.81 GAA and a .903 save percentage over seven playoff outings even after this awful performance. Game 2 is Tuesday in Colorado, and the Wild have yet to reveal their plans for goaltending in that contest.
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Wild's Jesper Wallstedt: Tending twine in Game 1
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Wallstedt will guard the road crease in Sunday's Game 1 against the Avalanche, Tracey Myers of NHL.com reports.
Wallstedt is coming off a strong finish to the first round against the Stars, as he won the last three games while posting a 1.81 GAA and a .933 save percentage during that stretch. The 23-year-old rising star has a 4-2-0 record, a 2.05 GAA and a .924 save percentage overall this postseason. He'll be matched up against a Colorado team that scored 13 goals in a four-game sweep of Los Angeles in the first round. Wallstedt put together a mixed bag of results against the Avalanche during the regular season, with a 1-1-1 record across four appearances.
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Wild's Jesper Wallstedt: Clinches first-round series
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Wallstedt stopped 21 of 23 shots in Thursday's 5-2 win over the Stars in Game 6.
Wallstedt went 4-2 in the series with a 2.05 GAA and a .924 save percentage over six games. The Wild trailed for just 54 seconds in the decisive Game 6, and a clean third period from Wallstedt helped them secure advancement. It doesn't get any easier in the second round for the 23-year-old goalie, as he'll be tasked with stopping the Avalanche, who won the Presidents' Trophy for the best record in the regular season. A start date for that second-round series has yet to be announced.
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Wild's Jesper Wallstedt: Looking to secure series
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Wallstedt will protect the home net versus the Stars in Game 6 on Thursday, Dylan Loucks of The Hockey News reports.
Wallstedt has gone 3-2 in the series, allowing just 12 goals on 162 shots (.926 save percentage). The 23-year-old will get the Wild through the second round, where the Avalanche await, if he can collect another win. Wallstedt's play so far in the postseason suggests he's locked in as the Wild's top goalie.
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Wild's Jesper Wallstedt: Starting in Dallas
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Wallstedt will defend the road net against the Stars in Game 5 on Tuesday, per the NHL media site.
Wallstedt is coming off a 43-save performance in Game 4's 3-2 overtime win over Dallas on Saturday. He has posted a 2-2 record in Minnesota's first-round series with a playoff-leading 130 saves on 140 shots.
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Wild's Jesper Wallstedt: Shines in OT win Saturday
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Wallstedt stopped 43 shots Saturday in the Wild's 3-2 overtime win over the Stars in Game 4 of their first-round series.
The only two pucks to get past Wallstedt came on Stars power plays, and he turned aside all 17 shots he faced in the third period and OT before Matt Boldy found the game-winner. The 23-year-old netminder has a dazzling 2.06 GAA and .929 save percentage through four games, as the series shifts back to Dallas for Game 5 on Tuesday.
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Wild's Jesper Wallstedt: Tending twine in Game 3
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Wallstedt will patrol the home crease in Wednesday' game against the Stars, per Michael Russo of The Athletic.
Wallstedt will look to bounce back in Game 3 after surrendering three goals in Minnesota's 4-2 loss in Game 2 on Monday. The 23-year-old netminder has been playing elite hockey overall, as Monday's performance was the most goals he's allowed in a game since March 15 -- the goalie surrendered two or fewer goals in each of his eight appearances from March 17-April 18. Wallstedt has appeared in three consecutive games dating back to the regular season and, based on his recent performances, should deliver another competitive showing in Game 3.
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Wild's Jesper Wallstedt: Gives up three goals
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Wallstedt stopped 28 of 31 shots in Monday's 4-2 loss to the Stars in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series. The fourth goal he allowed was an empty-netter.
Wallstedt was impressive in the series opener, where he stopped all but one of the 28 shots he faced while posting a .964 save percentage, but he couldn't repeat that outing in Game 2. The 23-year-old should continue to protect the Wild crease in Game 3, which will take place in Minnesota on Wednesday. Through two playoff outings, Wallstedt has gone 1-1-0 with a 2.02 GAA and .932 save percentage.
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Wild's Jesper Wallstedt: Earns win vs. Anaheim
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Wallstedt stopped 35 of 37 shots in Tuesday's 3-2 win over the Ducks.
Wallstedt has been alternating starts with Filip Gustavsson down the stretch. The 23-year-old Wallstedt has played when called upon this campaign. He has won four of his last five starts, going 4-1-0 with a 1.82 GAA and a .936 save percentage over that span. Wallstedt is a viable option to see playing time in the playoffs if Gustavsson struggles.
Wallstedt made 20 saves in a 2-1 loss to Nashville on Saturday.
Wallstedt was sharp behind a team with Joel Eriksson Ek, Mats Zuccarello and Jared Spurgeon all scratched for rest-related reasons to get ready for the postseason. The loss snapped a personal three-game winning streak for the netminder. Wallstedt hasn't allowed more than two goals in a game since mid-March (3-2-0; five starts). Overall, he's an impressive 17-9-6 with four shutouts, 2.63 GAA and .915 save percentage.
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Wild's Jesper Wallstedt: Secures win over Kraken
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Wallstedt stopped 25 of 27 shots in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Kraken.
Wallstedt came away with his third straight win. He allowed both goals in the first period before locking things down in the final 40 minutes. Wallstedt improved to 17-8-6 with a 2.65 GAA and a .914 save percentage across 33 outings this season. The 23-year-old netminder should get at least one more start in the regular season since the Wild end on a back-to-back, but it wouldn't be surprising if he got two starts to afford Filip Gustavsson a little extra rest. The Wild begin a three-game road trip Thursday in Dallas, offering a preview of a first-round series.
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Wild's Jesper Wallstedt: Facing Senators
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Wallstedt will defend the road goal against Ottawa on Saturday, Joe Smith of The Athletic reports.
Wallstedt is 1-2-2 in his last six appearances, but he has a solid 2.13 GAA and a .919 save percentage. Overall, the 23-year-old netminder is 15-8-6 with four shutouts, a 2.73 GAA and a .911 save percentage across 31 appearances this season. The Senators sit 10th in NHL scoring while generating 3.31 goals per game.
