Things did not look good for Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt at the end of the first period on Tuesday night.
He had given up three goals, and the Wild were down 3-0 against the lowly Chicago Blackhawks. A save on a Connor Bedard shot in the second period that almost trickled past his blockers could have been the final nail in the coffin. Instead, it was a turning point that sparked a 4-3 comeback victory.
Wallstedt’s performance has been lauded as evidence for sticking with the process that has made him a viable NHL goaltender. But it also may have improved his stock to become part of the Wild’s next blockbuster trade ahead of the March 6 trade deadline.
The Wild have made the phrase “Two Good Goalies” into their second-biggest marketing slogan behind “The State of Hockey,” so dealing Wallstedt may seem unfathomable. Still, they may consider it, because general manager Bill Guerin should do everything he can to help the Wild go on their deepest playoff run in a decade.
Wallstedt isn’t the only prospect who may get anxious when his phone rings over the next month. With the Wild firmly in a playoff spot and staring down a likely first-round matchup with the Dallas Stars, Guerin will be looking to make a deal. He could dangle Wallstedt, Charlie Stramel, and David Jiricek to make that trade happen. Still, it may make Wild fans uncomfortable about the franchise’s future.
Of course, Guerin declared that the future is now when he traded for Quinn Hughes in December. Hughes been tremendous for the Wild since coming over from the Vancouver Canucks, scoring a pair of goals and recording 26 points in 22 games. As Wild fans know, his impact has also gone beyond the boxscore. He’s used his playmaking ability to open things up for his teammates, making everyone on the ice play a little faster.
With all due respect to guys like Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin, Hughes has shown Wild fans what a franchise defenseman looks like. But it also took a lot to bring him to Minnesota.
The combination of Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi, and Liam Öhgren was like sending three extra first-round picks in addition to the 2026 first-round pick the Canucks received in exchange for Hughes. While Hughes has been a game-changer in Minnesota, the trio of former players has struggled to find their footing in Vancouver, combining for five goals and 14 points since their arrival.
There are some reasons for the low production. Rossi’s lower-body injury, which he sustained with the Wild at the beginning of the season, flared up and has him out through the Olympic break. Buium still flashes potential, but is a 20-year-old still getting used to life in the NHL. Öhgren hasn’t been productive. However, he’s 22 years old, and Arielle Lalande of Canucks Army said he’s “a joy to watch” and “an unexpected jolt of energy.”
While the Canucks aren’t reaping the benefits now, they could be in a few years if the team around the former Wild members continues to improve. It’s a hesitation that many Wild fans have about adding a player like Wallstedt to a deal. Still, it could be worth it in the end because of the player they get in return.
Take a look at the history of the Vegas Golden Knights. Fans in general despise the Golden Knights for the sweetheart expansion deal they received when they entered the NHL in 2017. However, they’ve never hesitated to trade their blue-chip prospects for players that could help them win right now.
Mark Stone, Jack Eichel, and Tomas Hertl are just some of the players they’ve acquired in exchange for either a future, current, or former first-round pick. That leaves 2024 first-rounder Trevor Connelly as the only first-round pick in team history to still be with the team in their ninth season of existence.
In the case of the 2019 trade that sent Nick Suzuki to the Montreal Canadiens for Max Pacioretty, the deal stung a little bit. But it isn’t something that’s holding the Golden Knights back, hoisting the Stanley Cup at the end of the 2022-23 season.
Ask any Wild player on the roster, and lifting the Cup is the ultimate goal. But while fans want the same thing, they would also take a playoff run for a franchise that hasn’t gotten out of the first round of the playoffs since 2016.
If Wallstedt or another top prospect is what’s getting in the way of acquiring a top-line center like Vincent Trocheck or another piece that would help this team, it’s a mixed signal from a front office that declared their time is now a month ago. Even a lesser player would be worth the investment of prospects Wild fans have gotten excited about if it means getting Minnesota closer to a championship.
And if now isn’t the time to make a deal, people should ask when it will be. The Wild have one of the most talented teams in franchise history, anchored by Hughes, Kaprizov, and Matt Boldy. Judd Brackett’s drafts have been good enough to keep the cabinet stocked with desirable prospects, and some of those could fill the holes that another big swing could leave behind.
Guerin has just over a month to decide what he wants to do. But with the current state of the Wild, it may be the perfect time to push chips like Wallstedt to the middle of the table.