Jesper Wallstedt (James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images)EDMONTON – The Edmonton Oilers should be interested in a Minnesota Wild goaltender.
Unfortunately, Marc-André Fleury is retired, and acquiring Filip Gustavsson is a pipe dream. That leaves the Swedish protege, Jesper Wallstedt.
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Wallstedt was drafted 20th overall in the 2021 Entry Draft. The 6-foot-3, 214 lb goaltender has not sailed through smooth waters recently.
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The 2024-25 season was a down year for him, which is why the Oilers need to buy low and acquire a goalie who could be impactful under proper tutelage.
Peter Aubry’s mentoring of Kevin Lankinen and Arvid Soderblom should instill confidence that he can help simplify Wallstedt’s game to become an effective NHL player.
Wallstedt’s NHL numbers aren’t great at this point in his career. A 3.44 goals against average (GAA) and .877 save percentage (SV%) don’t scream “future number 1 goalie” to me. However, he’s only 22-years-old and isn’t even close to scratching the surface of his NHL potential.
By acquiring him, they would rectify Ken Holland’s draft day blunder, the one where he traded down to add another draft pick to their collection and select Xavier Bourgault 22nd overall.
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