Rookie goalie Jesper Wallstedt shatters NHL records with a historic shutout surge, dominating rookie leaderboards and rewriting goaltending history.
The legend keeps building. Every time Jesper Wallstedt steps on the ice, his rookie season reaches deeper into NHL history, pulling out numbers that simply shouldn’t be possible for a 23-year-old with fewer than 20 career starts.
It is time to add him to the Team Sweden goaltending conversation for the 2026 Olympics, if he hasn't been already. It is also safe to say, Matthew Schaefer and Ivan Demidov have company in the NHL's Calder Race.
With his 33-save shutout over the Edmonton Oilers, Wallstedt became the first goaltender in more than 61 years and seventh since 1929-30 (when forward passing was permitted inside all three zones) with five shutouts at the time of his 10th career win.
He joined Roger Crozier (5 on Nov. 1, 1964), Ed Chadwick (5 on Dec. 15, 1956), Jacques Plante (5 on Oct. 7, 1954), Frank Brimsek (6 on Dec. 27, 1938), Mike Karakas (5 on Jan. 9, 1936) and Wilf Cude (5 on Feb. 4, 1934). Per NHLStats.
Wallstedt, 23, leads the NHL in the three major categories. He is 8-0-2 with a 1.74 goals-against average (1st), a .944 save percentage (1st) and four shutouts (1st).
The 6-foot-3 goaltender became just the third rookie goalie in the past 45 years to open a season with a point streak of 10 or more games, joining Robb Stauber (1992-93) and Bob Froese (1982-83).
It truly is incredible what run Wallstedt is on right now. The craziest thing about this is the Wild are on a goalie rotation. Wallstedt and Filip Gustavsson have been splitting starts for the last 11 games. Wallstedt is first in shutouts with four and Gustavsson is tied for second with two.
For most rookie goaltenders, the wall eventually appears — a crack in the structure, a moment when the league finally pushes back. But Wallstedt has become the brick wall himself. Opponents keep firing, testing, and leaning on him, waiting for something to give. Right now, there isn’t a single crack.
The league keeps looking for cracks, but Wallstedt the Bricklayer keeps laying bricks. Right now, that wall isn’t budging. The Wall of St. Paul is here.
"It's fun. I've never played like this before I don't think," Wallstedt said postgame. "I just can't thank teammates enough around me. Nothing would be possible without them. I am trying to do my job in making a lot of saves but I can't do that without the way we have been playing, tonight and every other game."
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