Jesper Wallstedt is in town tonight, and if you're an Oilers fan, you might want to avert your eyes-because the goalie they passed on is now one of the hottest names in the NHL.
Wallstedt, the 23-year-old Swedish netminder, is on a tear with the Minnesota Wild. He won all six of his starts in November, earning NHL Rookie of the Month honors in the process.
And this wasn’t just a case of riding a hot team-Wallstedt was lights out, stopping 202 of 208 shots and recording three shutouts. That’s a .971 save percentage over six games.
In today’s NHL, that’s not just impressive-it’s borderline absurd.
Now, November is just one month, and Wallstedt’s journey hasn’t been without bumps. He had a tough go in the minors last season, but that seems to be firmly in the rearview mirror.
The Wild have a solid tandem on their hands now, with Wallstedt sharing the crease with fellow Swede Filip Gustavsson. And if this is just the beginning, Minnesota might be looking at their long-term solution in net.
For Edmonton, though, this is a tough one to watch unfold.
Back in 2021, Wallstedt had all the makings of a future NHL starter. He was already playing significant minutes in the Swedish Hockey League at just 18 years old for Lulea-no small feat in one of Europe’s top pro leagues.
He had also just represented Sweden at the World Juniors, showcasing his poise on the international stage. At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, he had the size, the resume, and the calm demeanor scouts crave in a young goalie.
That draft year, Wallstedt and Sebastian Cossa-then the towering starter for the Edmonton Oil Kings-were widely considered the cream of the goalie crop. Both had elite upside. But when the Oilers were on the clock at No. 20, things didn’t go the way many expected.
Detroit made the first bold move. Steve Yzerman traded up from No. 23 to No. 15, giving up three picks (Nos. 23, 48, and 138) to Dallas to grab Cossa.
The Oilers, who were hoping Cossa might fall to them, suddenly found themselves without their top target. And instead of pivoting to Wallstedt, who was still on the board, they opted to trade down-sending the No. 20 pick to Minnesota in exchange for the No. 22 and No. 90 selections.
At the time, it made some sense. Edmonton didn’t have a second or third-round pick that year, so adding an extra selection helped fill the gap.
But hindsight is 20/20, and this one stings.
Wallstedt went to the Wild at No. 20, and now he’s making the kind of impact that turns heads around the league. Meanwhile, Cossa-also 23-is still working his way up the ladder.
He was just named AHL Goalie of the Week in Grand Rapids and has only one NHL game under his belt. With Cam Talbot’s contract expiring this summer, there’s a chance he could break into Detroit’s full-time roster next season.
But for now, Wallstedt is the one making waves at the NHL level.
It’s worth noting: goalie evaluation is one of the trickiest parts of the draft. Even the best amateur scouts will tell you it’s more art than science.
As TSN’s Craig Button put it, “They were both elite at the time, but sometimes you just overthink things… we’ve all been there.” Button also noted that he never saw any red flags with Wallstedt during his scouting viewings.
And that quote from former Dallas scouting director Tim Bernhardt still rings true: “If you don’t draft goaltenders, then you’re not going to have them when you need them.”
The Oilers had Ilya Konovalov in the system at the time-a smaller Russian goalie they’d taken in the third round in 2019-but the allure of Cossa’s size and potential was hard to pass up. When Cossa went earlier than expected, Edmonton hesitated on Wallstedt, and the Wild swooped in.
Now, with Wallstedt in the building and playing like a future star, the Oilers are left wondering what could’ve been.