From a worrisome bust risk to an absolute stud within the matter of months, Wallstedt has pushed for the starting role in Minnesota for the majority of the 2025-26 season to date. He has earned himself a timeshare with starter Gustavsson and looks poised to gain a larger share of the workload in the 2026-27 season should his performance continue on this trajectory. While his save percentage of .912% over 31 games this season is solid, it does not do justice to the extremely hot stretch he had in the fall when he posted four shutouts in six games. It will be exciting to watch how Wallstedt performs in the NHL playoffs in a few weeks should the Wild continue splitting goalie starts.

An underwhelming season for Wallstedt in 2024-25 at the AHL level, to say the least. He had some injury trouble and confidence issues, which didn’t seem to be resolved as the season progressed. He is still one of the top goalie prospects in the world and will likely get a long look during training camp to be Gustavsson’s backup for the Wild in 2024-25. Although Wallstedt’s development has not gone exactly as most people imagined after being drafted in the first round of 2021, he will be getting plenty of opportunities to get back on track.

Wallstedt signed a two-year, $4.4 million contract (AAV of $2.2 million) with the Minnesota Wild that begins in the 2025-26 season.

Wallstedt is one of a select few goalie prospects who has the franchise tag potential. At 20 years of age, Wallstedt has already played significant minutes in the SHL and the Swedish men’s national hockey team. This was his rookie season in the AHL, where he played 38 games as the team’s starting goalie, posting a .908 save percentage and a 2.68 GAA. His winning record helped the Iowa Wild secure a playoff spot. Wallstedt is essentially NHL-ready, and although he might not be the starter for the Wild during the 2023-24 season, he should be making his NHL debut.

Wallstedt again had a very promising season in the SHL, playing for Lulea HF as a 19-year-old goaltender. The first-round pick from 2021 played in 22 games, sporting a GAA of just 1.98 and a save percentage of .918. There is a big expectation from this well-sized and composed goaltender prospect, and the Minnesota Wild was able to lock him up on his ELC deal in May 2022. Wallstedt will likely begin his North American career in the AHL to start the 22-23 season, but with the Wild’s goaltending situation up in the air, expect a few NHL starts if his performance demands it.