Whenever trade rumors pop up, and players reportedly become available, fans of all teams jump in with how their team should go after said player. Sometimes it makes sense, and sometimes it's nothing more than a pipe dream.
The latest in trade frenzy is Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt. Wallstedt is just 23 years old and has had a rather successful year in his first full season in the NHL. Drafted in 2021, the Wild traded up in the first round to grab the young netminder, making him the first goaltender born in Sweden to be taken in the first round.
After his entry-level deal, he signed a two-year contract in 2024, but most of his career has taken place during this current season. The plan seemed to be to let Wallstedt develop carefully and become the goaltender of the future. But now that Filip Gustavsson continues to play well and earned himself a five-year extension, there are questions about Wallstedt's future.
Gustavsson's contract won't begin until next year, and the Wild certainly aren't paying him 6.8M a year to be the backup. Unless his stats plummet or injuries hit, Wallstedt is stuck. But even then, why would the Wild want to move a young goaltender with his potential?
Michael Russo of The Athletic first tossed out the idea in talking about a potential reunion with Marc-Andre Fleury.
"Or consider this: If Wallstedt were to be traded, Fleury could be an option rather than trading for a backup goalie in another capacity. Gustavsson, who signed an extension in September, has a full no-move clause and is signed through 2030-31. That’s why the Wild would be open to dealing Wallstedt, their top prospect, if the right deal comes along (especially for a No. 1-caliber center)."
Elliotte Friedman then backed up the claims on a recent episode of 32 Thoughts.
"I think that Minnesota may have tried that once already. We all know the Wild are going to try to get another player, probably a center. We're all sitting there saying, 'What is [Bill Guerin] going to use?' I think [Wallstedt] might be the guy."
Acquiring Wallstedt would be nice, but Flyers can't afford asking price
While Sam Ersson played admirably in Dan Vladar's recent absence, his overall season has left much to be desired. There is still a good chance that the Flyers will need to find another option to tandem with Vladar. Aleksei Kolosov hasn't proved to be the answer yet and will be a free agent this summer. Carson Bjarnason could have a chance to fight for the backup spot next year, but will he be ready to make the jump?
Wallstedt has cooled off a bit since his hot start, but overall, he has a 2.71 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage. Both are far and away better than what Ersson has provided. So by those numbers alone, he would be an upgrade for Philadelphia. Diving deeper, the difference between the two widens. Ersson has the second-worst GSAA (-19.85) amongst goaltenders who have played at least 1,300 minutes. Wallstedt is eighth with a GSAA of 10.76.
So while it's clear that Wallstedt would be a better option, there is one massive problem. As Russo mentioned, the Wild are likely looking for a top-line center. Therein lies the issue. Turns out, so are the Flyers. Their current centers are: Christian Dvorak, Sean Couturier, Noah Cates, and Lane Pederson. Rodrigo Abols is injured, but he's another center option.
None of those names would be enough unless the Wild believes that someone like Cates can deliver more in a higher spot in the lineup. Even so, the Flyers wouldn't want to weaken a position they already need more from. Maybe they could sweeten a deal that doesn't include a top center, but Minnesota could find options elsewhere.
Acquiring Wallstedt would be a solid get for Danny Briere and an upgrade to the goaltending position. But the Flyers simply cannot afford the price it would take to get him.