
The Wild recalled Jesper Wallstedt and Liam Ohgren on Tuesday.
ST. PAUL - The Wild recalled Jesper Wallstedt and Liam Ohgren on Tuesday but have now sent Wallstedt back down to the AHL.
"I think it’s a situation where he’s a young guy that’s playing a lot," Wild head coach John Hynes said on why Wallstedt was recalled during his struggles. "I think he’s been very good at times. There’s been some times where he’s struggled a little bit. So I think it’s the way we’re looking at it, talking with management and Iowa guys, just that it’s part of a growing process for him."
The move was viewed as a mental reset for the Wild's top prospect but also a salary cap move.
Minnesota placed Mats Zuccarello on the Long-Term Injury Reserve list on Tuesday. They also placed Jakub Lauko and Jonas Brodin on the Injured Reserve list.
Before that, they sent Devin Shore and Ben Jones down to Iowa and recalled them right after they made the three IL moves.
Recalling Wallstedt was strictly a cap move and not anything related to Filip Gustavsson or Marc-Andre Fleury's health.
The move essentially allows the Wild to recall Wallstedt later on in the season even if they are still in LTIR.
Nonetheless, Wallstedt has struggled this year in the AHL. He is 3-6-1 in ten games with a 4.34 goals-against average and a .860 save percentage.
"He’s played very well at times. At times he hasn’t been at his best, but he is counted on to play big minutes, playing important games in all those situations," Hynes said. "So I think it’s just the ups and downs of a young guy really going through being a No. 1 goalie and the challenges of it as well. I think it’s healthy for his development. There’s no concerns there. I think it’s part of a process of learning how to do that regularly and can you respond if you don’t play a great game? Can you put some games together where you’re doing really well, and those are challenging for young guys, particularly in that position."
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