Filip Gustavsson, the Minnesota Wild’s promising goaltender, is set to undergo offseason hip surgery that raises concerns about his readiness for the upcoming training camp. General manager Bill Guerin revealed on Monday that the procedure is scheduled to happen “as soon as possible” to address wear and tear accumulated over the season, rather than a specific injury stemming from the playoffs.
Gustavsson faced challenges toward the end of the regular season, leading to his benching as rookie Jesper Wallstedt stepped up into the starting role during the playoffs. Gustavsson managed just one postseason appearance, which resulted in a 5-2 loss against the Colorado Avalanche in Game 2 of the second round. Ultimately, the Avalanche eliminated the Wild in five games.
Despite these setbacks, Gustavsson secured a five-year, $34 million contract extension last fall, set to begin in the 2026-27 season, complete with a full no-trade clause for the first two years. His regular season performance included a record of 28 wins, 15 losses, and 6 overtime losses over 49 starts, alongside a goals-against average of 2.69 and a save percentage of .903 during his fourth year with the Wild.
Meanwhile, Wallstedt also had a strong season, finishing with an 18-9-6 record in 33 starts, a 2.61 goals-against average, and a .915 save percentage. Both goalies notched four shutouts throughout the season. In the playoffs, Wallstedt excelled, winning five of his 10 starts and allowing three or fewer goals in seven games, while recording 30 or more saves in five contests.
Guerin expressed confidence in the team’s goaltending situation, stating, “I like our goaltending situation, to be quite honest with you. Both of our goalies are No. 1 goalies, you know? The luxury of it is being able to put a fresh rested goalie in the net every night, and you know both guys are signed. They’re both very good. They work well in a tandem. They support each other. I’m very comfortable with where it is.”
Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.
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