What Is the Wild's Plan In Net Next Year?

The Minnesota Wild left their goaltending situation alone during a stressful pre-playoff trade deadline. However, Marc-Andre Fleury announced his retirement last April, so the team must make a major decision this summer.

Filip Gustavsson will enter the third year of his contract with a $3.75 million yearly cap hit. The Wild are unlikely to move the Swedish goaltender, who has a .913 overall SV% and .914 in the 2024-25 season. He played in 42 of Minnesota’s 64 games and will likely be the Wild’s primary goaltender again next season.

However, the NHL must replace Fleury, which won’t be an easy task. The future Hall of Famer is in his 22nd season and boasts a .912 SV% overall and .904 this year. He has played 1,047 games, 17 playoff runs, and has won the Stanley Cup 3 times. Flower is universally loved and has given us countless funny moments, and the Wild won’t be able to replace his energy and leadership fully. He signed a 1-year, $2.5 million contract for this season and has been worth more than that to Minnesota. 

The going rate for great goalies is variable, especially with the unexpected salary cap increase. The cap generally raises by $1 to $5 million annually, except during economic hardship such as the COVID pandemic. The current 2024-25 cap, which is $88 million, will jump to $95.5 in 2025-26, $104 in 2026-27, and $113.5 in 2027-28. That means more money for the Wild to move around but higher expectations from goalies. 

Player production changes yearly, but goalies are especially known to go from good to great or vice versa. Therefore, GMs are hesitant to sign long-term contracts. Last season, Igor Shesterkin and Jeremy Swayman held out for a higher paycheck. Shesterkin eventually agreed to an 8-year, $11.5 million AAV contract and has a .905 SV% with a .918 SV% overall. Swayman signed on for an 8-year, $8.25 million AAV contract. However, he has a .898 SV% this year and an overall .913 SV%. 

Minnesota will have to spend in free agency to replace Fleury’s production, especially with the cap increase. The Wild will have to call someone up from Iowa or look elsewhere to replace him.

The Iowa Wild have 3 active goalies: Jesper Wallstedt, Samuel Hlavaj, and Dylan Ferguson. Hlavaj has yet to play in the NHL, and Ferguson played in three games before signing with Minnesota. The Wild won’t count on either to play in 20+ NHL games next season. 

Wallstedt has been inconsistent this year. The Wild started the season with plans for a 3-goalie rotation. On October 8, 2024, they signed Wallstedt to a 2-year, $4.4 million contract extension that starts next year. Two days later, they sent him to Iowa due to limited cap space, where he initially struggled and needed a reset. The Wild gave him a weekend off and devoted time to work with him. Since then, Wallstedt has maintained a save percentage above .900 and hasn’t allowed more than four games in a game. 

Wallstedt played 23 games for Iowa this season and averaged a .884 SV%. However, the team in front of a goalie can make a goalie’s life easy – or cause them to spiral. Iowa ranks 30th out of 32 teams in the AHL, with 152 goals for (29th) and 203 goals against (30th). The Iowa forwards have not been productive this season, and Wallstedt has been unable to make up the difference in net. 

He also played 2 games for Minnesota this year and has 5 NHL games total. He has a .843 SV% in the NHL this year. However, he played against the Las Vegas Knights and the Winnipeg Jets, who are the fifth- and second-best teams in the league, respectively. He allowed 5 goals against the Jets, who rank second in goals for with 228 so far this season. 

Ultimately, Wallstedt has not played his best this season and is not ready to take over for Fleury. He has potential but needs more development time before Minnesota can depend on him. 

The Wild must look outside the organization for their backup tendy next season. Below are the top 5 goalies who will be unrestricted free agents (UFAs) at the end of the 2024-25 season. GP refers to games played in the 2024-25 season. 

Adin Hill - Las Vegas Knights 

Age: 28

AAV: $4.9 million

GP: 38

2024-25 SV%: .940

Overall SV%: .909

Hill led the Knights to their first Stanley Cup and is on pace to play more games this season than he would most likely get in Minnesota. He has had a great season but isn’t good enough to take Gus’s primary spot. Hill will almost certainly find a better contract and more ice time than the Wild can offer him. 

Jake Allen - New Jersey Devils

Age: 34

AAV: $3.85 million

GP: 24 

2024-25 SV%: .910

Overall SV%: .908

Allen is a solid contender. He may retire by the time Wallstedt is ready to play in the NHL full-time and may be willing to settle for a shorter contract. Allen is also likely to get similar ice time in Minnesota. However, he may ask more than the Wild are willing to spend. 

Alexandar Georgiev - Colorado Avalanche/San Jose Sharks

Age: 29 

AAV: $3.4 million

GP: Colorado : 18, San Jose: 20 

2024-25 SV%: Colorado: .874, San Jose: .876

Overall SV%: .904 

Georgiev has been getting solid ice time for the Sharks since they acquired him from the Avalanche on December 9, 2024. Although his stats have not been stellar for either team, the Sharks are dead last in the league, so their defense likely often leaves him exposed. Still, he may not be worth his asking price. 

Vitek Vanecek - Florida Panthers

Age: 29 

AAV: $3.4 million

GP: San Jose: 18, Florida: 1 

2024-25 SV%: San Jose: .882, Florida: 1.00

Overall SV%: .903

The Sharks traded Vanecek to the Panthers on March 8. He only played 18 games in San Jose, but Florida has already put him in net. His SV% was not stellar with the Sharks, but again, he was on the Sharks. 

Vanecek’s overall SV% is decent. However, if he re-signs with Florida, he must contend with Sergei Bobrovsky, who played 42 games this season and has a .914 SV% overall. He makes $3.4 million per year, so Minnesota could negotiate a reasonable price for him. Still, it largely depends on how he plays the rest of the season. 

Frederik Andersen - Carolina Hurricanes

Age: 35

AAV: $3.4 million

GP: 13

2024-25 SV%: .911

Overall SV%: .916

Andersen has a great overall and season SV% but has been injured, so he has only played 13 games this year. Similar in age to Allen, he will likely retire soon and may be willing to take a short contract at a reasonable price. Given his recent injuries, he may also want a backup’s workload. 

The Wild can depend on Gustavsson for the 2025-26 season but will have to look outside the club for a Fleury replacement. While Wallstedt has potential, he is not yet ready to play full-time in Minnesota. The Wild’s best option is a trade or a UFA, where Andersen and Vanecek are their top options, depending on how they play the rest of the year and in the playoffs.