Wild sign goaltender Jesper Wallstedt to a $4.4 million contract extension

The Minnesota Wild have announced that they've signed 21 year old goaltender Jesper Wallstedt to a two year contract extension that begins next season. 

Check it out:

The new deal comes with a tidy $2.2 million cap hit. Honestly, this is a good bit of work done by Wild GM Bill Guerin.

The former 20th overall selection (2021 NHL Entry Draft) played just three games for the Wild last season, but 45 games with the team's AHL affilate Iowa Wild. He managed a 2.70 goals against average and a .910 save percentage in Iowa last season.

With Wild starter Marc-Andre Fleury confirming that this is his final season in the NHL, it's expected that Wallstedt will split duties with Filip Gustavsson next season.

Read below for the full press release from the Wild:

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Wild President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has signed goaltender Jesper Wallstedt to a two-year, $4.4 million contract extension ($2.2 million average annual value) that begins in the 2025-26 season and goes through the 2026-27 season.

Wallstedt, 21 (11/14/02), made three starts for Minnesota during the 2023-24 season, posting a 2-1-0 record with a 3.01 goals-against average (GAA) and a .897 save percentage (SV%). The 6-foot-3, 214-pound native of Vasteras, Sweden, recorded his first career NHL shutout and win at Chicago on April 7, stopping all 24 shots faced in the 4-0 victory. He made his NHL debut at Dallas on Jan. 10, 2024. Wallstedt also went 22-19-6 with a 2.70 GAA, .910 SV% and two shutouts in 45 games with the Iowa Wild during the 2023-24 American Hockey League (AHL) season. Wallstedt was twice named Howie’s Hockey Tape/AHL Player of the Week during the 2023-24 campaign, earning the honor for the week ending Nov. 5 after going 2-0-0 with a .950 SV% in two starts and again for the week ending Dec. 3 after going 2-0-0 with a 1.50 GAA and .965 SV% in two starts.

For his career, Wallstedt is 40-34-12 with a 2.69 GAA, .909 SV% and three shutouts in 83 games played over two seasons with Iowa (2022-24). He ranked fourth among AHL rookie goaltenders with a 2.68 GAA, T-4th with 18 wins and fifth with a .908 SV% in the 2022-23 season. Wallstedt earned AHL goaltender of the Month honors in January of 2023 and represented Iowa at the 2023 AHL All-Star Classic.