Article: 2026 Free Agent Filip Gustavsson's True Value Remains Murky

[Tony Abbott]

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[mnfaninnc]

This is the most important part of this article:

Quote

However, at the same time, a team needs a solid, reliable goaltender, and those aren't always easy to find.

I think a competent average goalie is pretty easy to find. Goose is pretty much in the Markstrom class somewhere between $5-6m without capflation. We are spending $6m on our goalies total next season, which I believe will be tremendous value. 

Even with capflation, Goose is not an $8m+ goalie. He's just not that good. The good news is that Goose also has played behind porous defense and knows how lonely that is. In fact, when his ELC was going to end, he thought he'd be headed back to Sweden to just play there. He knows how good this defense is, especially since he had a year when they were deeply hurt. 

I think he'll sign a team friendly deal to stay here. I also think he likes it here. I could see changing the budget to $8.2m for goalies in 2026-27. I would also encourage it to be a 5 year deal and no more. 3 would be better.

I'm still projecting that The Wall will overtake him in a couple of years and we'll either have to trade him out (so cut down on the designations), or hand the reins over to him next season. The Wall could be elite. Both goalies were trained in the same system. Both goalies are quiet. What sets them apart?

Puck tracking. Goose sometimes looses the puck in traffic and lets in the occasional stinker that he just never saw. The Wall, according to his scouting reports tracks the puck really well, is slightly bigger in build so pucks have a better tendency to just hit him, and is supposed to have better anticipation. He doesn't look too athletic because he's so quiet, but he can move when necessary. 

I like having the tandem together for a few years, but Goose is probably best as a 1A, not a true 1. 

[Enforceror]

What doesn't make sense is, if our defense is so stellar, why is our PK in the shitter? I'm not sure how many goals I saw last year right off a lost PK faceoff. Quite a few. What does that say about goaltending? 

 

[SkolWild73]

Always a tough call when it comes to paying a goaltender.  How good is the goaltender and how much of his success is the product of the system that plays in front of him?  I like Gus and feel he is a top 10 goaltender, but at the same time, worry about paying him $8M+. 

The goalie contracts are kind of weird.  Besides the Rangers giving Shesterkin $11.5M starting this year, the next three highest goalie contracts were all signed back in 2018-2020.  No other goalie contract has went above $8.5M in the past couple of years, and that includes Hellebuyck, Oettinger and other top goaltenders.  

Feels to me the minimum for Gus would be $6.5M that Dostal got with a maximum of $8.25 that Oettinger, Swayman, Ullmark and Sorokin received.  Hopefully something in the middle.

[mnhockeyfan03]

1 hour ago, Enforceror said:

What doesn't make sense is, if our defense is so stellar, why is our PK in the shitter? I'm not sure how many goals I saw last year right off a lost PK faceoff. Quite a few. What does that say about goaltending? 

 

PK is bad because D are to small to clear the front of the net and we don’t pressure enough.  
 

Dont pay Gus over $4mm and don’t sign him until after season to keep him motivated. If he has a great year we could even trade him at deadline as a big part to get a 1C.  Gus seems to have that attitude to get unmotivated very fast after getting paid.  

[Citizen Strife]

Gus is probably aiming for $7-7.5m.  Anything over that, and you probably balk.  He MIGHT stretch to $6.5-7m, but only if he struggles for whatever reason.  I understand the hope that Wallstedt makes good, but Gus made good on two of three seasons and Wall has done squat.  Letting Gus go might be asking for trouble.

[Lern2spell]

50 minutes ago, mnhockeyfan03 said:

Dont pay Gus over $4mm and don’t sign him until after season to keep him motivated. If he has a great year we could even trade him at deadline

If Guerin waits until after the season to offer $4M max, Gustavsson walks, and Guerin would look like a fool for not trading him at the deadline, regardless of how he is playing.

It is amazing how many supposed fans disregard Gustavsson's career numbers (NHL), but believe Wallstedt will be elite even with sub-par AHL numbers.  Nobody knows how Wallstedt will do in the NHL. I hope he does well, but right now is unproven.

I would hate to see the Wild move on from Gus, field a championship caliber team, and be undone by lackluster goaltending simply because they were unwilling to pay someone what they are worth... 

[Willy the poor boy]

2 hours ago, mnhockeyfan03 said:

PK is bad because D are to small to clear the front of the net and we don’t pressure enough.  
 

Dont pay Gus over $4mm and don’t sign him until after season to keep him motivated. If he has a great year we could even trade him at deadline as a big part to get a 1C.  Gus seems to have that attitude to get unmotivated very fast after getting paid.  

Mn.is there anyone on the team you don't want to trade?

[mnhockeyfan03]

1 hour ago, Willy the poor boy said:

Mn.is there anyone on the team you don't want to trade?

Everyone is tradeable.  This team needs a change. It’s not going anywhere without 3 better top 6 guys to replace Rossi, Zucc and Terasenko and we need 2 more bigger D to replace Spurg and Brodin.  If we do that in whatever way possible then we will have a chance.  Each year we run back the same team and the same thing happens over and over.  It’s insanity.  

[mnfaninnc]

I just can't see us going over $6m on him. I just don't think he's better than that and we can find a competent goaltender elsewhere. To be successful in our system, a goalie merely needs to be average. I don't see Goose being much more than an average 'tender. 

Still, $5-6m is a raise.

[SkolWild73]

1 hour ago, mnhockeyfan03 said:

Each year we run back the same team and the same thing happens over and over.  It’s insanity.  

From our team that lost to Dallas in 23, we have 12 players that are the same, and I am including Ek who played one shift and Johansson, otherwise it is 10.  From last years team there should be at least 6 new players on this team, Sturm, Tarasenko, Yurov, Ohgren, Buium,  (with a season under him), Wallstedt, and hopefully Jiricek/Lambos.  Continuity is important too, so turning over half the roster isn't necessarily a good thing.

 

[Sam]

1 hour ago, mnhockeyfan03 said:

Everyone is tradeable.  This team needs a change. It’s not going anywhere without 3 better top 6 guys to replace Rossi, Zucc and Terasenko and we need 2 more bigger D to replace Spurg and Brodin.  If we do that in whatever way possible then we will have a chance.  Each year we run back the same team and the same thing happens over and over.  It’s insanity.  

You already want to replace Tarasenko? I have hopes that he will mesh well with our team. 

[mnhockeyfan03]

50 minutes ago, Sam said:

You already want to replace Tarasenko? I have hopes that he will mesh well with our team. 

He is not a long term solution. He has also lost many steps.  He can still shoot so hopefully he plays with someone who can do the work and he can just shoot. 

[1Brotherbill]

The money value that seems high today isn't going to be high in three years.  Just let that sink in for a while.

Gus was in the talk for a Vezina trophy at the beginning of last year.  If he plays that well this year he should get paid.  But like the article alludes to should the Wild consider it?  Wallstedt has just as much if not more ability than Gus does and he is 5 years younger.  He makes 2.2 million a year and is a RFA going into the 27/28 season.  Wallstedt is going to get a good number of games this year.  If he outplays Gus all season long the Wild will have a very successful season and they will also have an easier choice on signing Gus or not.  If Wallstedt can't stop a beach ball then the Wild also have an easy choice on signing Gus.  

Gus's next contract will depend on Wallstedt. 

[TCMooch]

Find another #2 or 1.5 goalie and turn him into a star if Wall isn’t ready. We’ve done it our entire franchise history. 

 

 

[mnfaninnc]

12 hours ago, 1Brotherbill said:

The money value that seems high today isn't going to be high in three years.  Just let that sink in for a while.

Gus was in the talk for a Vezina trophy at the beginning of last year.  If he plays that well this year he should get paid.  But like the article alludes to should the Wild consider it?  Wallstedt has just as much if not more ability than Gus does and he is 5 years younger.  He makes 2.2 million a year and is a RFA going into the 27/28 season.  Wallstedt is going to get a good number of games this year.  If he outplays Gus all season long the Wild will have a very successful season and they will also have an easier choice on signing Gus or not.  If Wallstedt can't stop a beach ball then the Wild also have an easy choice on signing Gus.  

Gus's next contract will depend on Wallstedt. 

This was a very well articulated comment. Good job 1BB!

[bisopher]

1 hour ago, TCMooch said:

Find another #2 or 1.5 goalie and turn him into a star if Wall isn’t ready. We’ve done it our entire franchise history. 

 

 

I believe the name you're looking for is Hlavaj. I'm optimistic he can replace Gus for cheap if/when the Wall establishes himself, or maybe he outplays Wallstedt instead. 

 

Edited August 15 by bisopher
Added

[Fezig]

I'm just really glad the Wild don't have any cheerleading controversary. Let's Play Hockey!

[NoJoSux]

On 8/14/2025 at 12:25 PM, Enforceror said:

What doesn't make sense is, if our defense is so stellar, why is our PK in the shitter? I'm not sure how many goals I saw last year right off a lost PK faceoff. Quite a few. What does that say about goaltending? 

 

This is something that you don't see in advanced stats. For example, MN loses draw clean. Everyone is tracking the puck and NHL scorer snipes it post and in. Goalie and everyone else on the ice can't do anything. Kaprizov has done that for the Wild.

When it comes to the PK and draws both elements are related to specific guys being good at it. Also coaching, but player's drive is part of the formula. Battle, compete, all that cliche stuff you hear, that's what Hartman had in last season's playoffs. Trenin played hard and a few other guys but the Wild have too little and it shows in the faceoff circle, on the PK, when the going gets tough.

The Wild are gonna have to face a tough Colorado team, Dallas who's getting all their guys back pretty much, and Winnipeg who spanked the Wild last season. St. Louis is always there, so MN is gonna have their work cut out for them. 

The Wild are gonna need big improvements in a few areas. Goaltending shouldn't be one of them if Gus comes back like he did at the beginning of last season. He's familiar with a full NHL season starting most of the games.

[NoJoSux]

On 8/15/2025 at 10:18 AM, bisopher said:

I believe the name you're looking for is Hlavaj. I'm optimistic he can replace Gus for cheap if/when the Wall establishes himself, or maybe he outplays Wallstedt instead. 

 

Lot of potential with Vaj. 

[NoJoSux]

On 8/15/2025 at 8:33 AM, TCMooch said:

Find another #2 or 1.5 goalie and turn him into a star if Wall isn’t ready. We’ve done it our entire franchise history. 

 

 

Weird but true.

[raithis]

On 8/14/2025 at 12:40 PM, mnhockeyfan03 said:

PK is bad because D are to small to clear the front of the net and we don’t pressure enough.  
 

If that is true, why aren't they also bad when it's 5v5?  I agree there is always room for improvement, but it seems like their defensive system is so reliant on 5 players being in position to close down lanes and block pucks that when they don't have an additional player to fill in those gaps they leave a lot more holes in the defense.

The thing is, all teams have that issue to a certain degree.  But what some of those other teams have, and what the Wild haven't ever really had, is a truly elite goaltender.  There have been some good ones.  Maybe even some that were close to great, but I think the bad PK is showing how the Wild's goalies tend to be more average than their stats suggest.  When the defense isn't there, the goalie has to come through, and often they don't.