By Luke Sims -
Goalies are voodoo.
Not a single person who walks God’s green earth knows exactly what makes a goalie good or if a young goalie prospect will reach his full potential. Some guys show promise early, some guys don’t figure it out until they are 30, and others never reach it at all. Some guys just need a change of scenery, regardless of age, ask Darcey Kuemper and Devan Dubnyk.
After the season Jesper Wallstedt had in the American Hockey League last season, it was not looking great for the former first-round pick. Wallstedt had just spent his third full year in Iowa, where it was his worst season yet. He had a .879 SV% and a 3.59 GAA in front of a brutal lineup. Wallstedt also suffered three separate injuries over the course of the season and only suited up in 27 contests.
However, the Minnesota Wild did him no favors by misleading him about his role on the team. Wallstedt expected to play a decent amount of NHL games in a three-goalie rotation with Marc-Andre Fleury and Filip Gustavsson.
Still, at the start of the season, Minnesota optioned Wallstedt to Iowa, where he struggled. Losing a rotational NHL opportunity affected his confidence. He was touted as the best goalie prospect in the world, and his AHL numbers suggested a player who had lost his mojo.
But confidence is a fickle thing, and it looks like the Wall of St. Paul found it again this year.
Wallstedt leads the NHL with a 96.7% save percentage (SV%) since the start of the month. He posted back-to-back shutouts against the Anaheim Ducks and the Calgary Flames, and Wallstedt holds the longest shutout streak in the NHL.
“If there were no goals scored in hockey, no one would play it,” Wallstedt recalled. “That kind of made me think a little bit, like, ‘Okay, there’s supposed to be goals in hockey.’ But then it’s my job to not make them happen.”
In every game Wallstedt has suited up for the Wild, they’ve earned a point, leading to a 5-0-2 record in his seven starts. He’s making it happen! Wallstedt’s play has been a huge reason this team has rebounded to a Wild Card spot and is tied for third in the Central Division.
“That’s my game plan, kind of. I want to be there. I want to make it look easy,” Wallstedt said. “I want to more so make it look like I’m getting hit than making saves. When the puck comes to me, that’s usually a good sign instead of me chasing the puck.
“That’s something I did last year. Now I’m trying to make the puck come to me instead. Yeah, it’s been working good. Rebound control has always been my strength. I’m happy with the confidence I have. I can keep a lot of pucks and get whistles on them.”
So that begs the question: If Wallstedt keeps this up, could he be in the conversation for the Calder Trophy, the NHL’s rookie of the year award?
Well, even if he does, he probably won’t win it.
Last year, Macklin Celebrini won the Calder, but Calgary Flames rookie goalie Dustin Wolf finished second with a stat line of 53 games, 2.64 GAA, and a .918 SV% as Calgary’s primary goaltender.
Steve Mason was the last goalie to win a Calder Trophy. He played 61 games for the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2008-09, posting a 2.29 GAA and a .916 SV%. Those are unreal numbers for such a young goalie in a starter role.
Even if Wallstedt maintains his numbers, he probably won’t get the number of games required to be in this conversation. The Wild still have an outstanding goalie in Gustavsson, who will continue to get his fair share of starts.
The other variable is his competition for the Calder. Matthew Schaefer, who has been elite in his first NHL games, is the leading rookie of the year candidate. Given that he’ll probably play for Team Canada in the Olympics at age 18, he’ll likely win the Calder this year.
Wallstedt probably won’t win the Calder, but he looks like he can be the goalie on a Stanley Cup-winning team.
All stats and data via HockeyDB, Evolving Hockey, and Moneypuck.com unless otherwise noted.
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