The Minnesota Wild finally have three goaltenders in the organization they can rely on. Two top-notch goalies on the current roster and one awaiting his opportunity while playing in the AHL. Wild goaltenders Filip Gustavsson, Marc-Andre Fleury and AHL Iowa Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt will carry this organization for a numbers of years to come. However, is there a controversy between the pipes for the upcoming 2023/2024 NHL season?
Minnesota Wild: Is Gustavsson or Fleury number one?
Last season, Gustavsson and Fleury split time in the Minnesota Wild net and had almost identical stats. Gustavsson, 25, went 22-9-7 with a 2.10 GAA and a .931 save percentage, and three shutouts in 39 games (37 starts). Fleury, 38, played equally as well, posting a record of 24-16-4 with a GAA of 2.85 and a save percentage of .908 and two shutouts in 45 games. Gustavsson recently signed a new three-year deal worth $11.25 million. Fleury, however, has one year left on a two-year deal worth $7 million. Are we counting down the last days of Marc-Andre Fleury being between the pipes?
Fleury is a no-doubt Hall of Famer when he is done. He has won three Stanley Cups, participated in four All-Star games, won the 2020-2021 Vezina Trophy, is first in active games played (985), wins (541), saves (25,641), and shutouts (73). He should take his time and walk away when he is ready and until he cannot play anymore but, again, he is 38 years old.
The plan for the Minnesota Wild this season should be to give Gustavsson most of the starts with Fleury as the backup and Wallstedt getting a game or two throughout the season.
Unless an injury occurs to either Gustavsson or Fleury, it would not surprise me to see Gustavsson get close to 55 starts this season. He is the young phenom who signed a new deal and is showcasing the same numbers as Fleury, as Gustavsson is also cheaper and younger.
Wild prospect Wallstedt is ready for his shot in the NHL in a starter or backup role. Last season for Iowa in the AHL, he posted a record of 18-15-5 with a GAA of 2.68 and a save percentage of .908 and one shutout in 38 games. He is not elite by any means yet as he is still young and has things to work on. Wallstedt does need to get his feet wet in the NHL, and could get a few starts this season. Wallstedt, the 20th pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, played his first season in North America last season while also making his pro debut.
Regardless, of how the MInnesota Wild staff handles this situation, they should be fair to Fleury and the goaltending situation. Gustavsson and Wallstedt headline the future for the Wild in net as Fleury will be the calming veteran presence he needs to be to help the Wild pursue another playoff berth.
Fleury is still a good NHL goaltender and should play well again this season. Wallstedt and Gustavsson are two of the best young goaltending duos in the league.