Are the Wild Really Going To Carry Three Goalies?

There are plenty of storylines to follow as the Minnesota Wild head into training camp on Thursday, September 19th. However, one of the most interesting plots is the rumors that the Wild will keep three goalies on their opening night roster: 40-year-old Marc-Andre Fleury, streaky Swede Filip Gustavsson, and stud 21-year-old prospect Jesper Wallstedt. 

Three-goalie rotations are rare in the NHL. Teams rarely roster three goalies on gameday. So, how exactly would that work? 

The NHL allows a maximum of three goalies and 23 players on a roster. Minnesota needs 18 skaters to dress every night. Therefore, with the extra goalie, the Wild still has space for two extra skaters because only 20 can dress on game day. That means whoever the third goalie is on any night will be eating popcorn in the press box. 

However, the Wild may carry three goalies because Fleury is playing his final NHL season. Opposing teams will celebrate the Hall-of-Famer on all of Minnesota’s road trips this season. At this point in his career, Fleury provides more in the locker room than he does on the ice. Last year, Fleury had a .895 save percentage and a 2.98 goals-against average, which is below league average. 

Gustavsson was not much better. He finished with a save percentage below .900 and a goals-against average of 3.06, a huge fall-off from his breakout season (.931, 2.10 in 2022-23) in Minnesota two years ago. Minnesota tried to find a trade partner for Gus, including flipping him to the Columbus Blue Jackets in a potential Patrik Laine deal. But Gustavsson will return to Minnesota for a third season and be part of its goalie trio. 

Wallstadt enters his third season in North America after growing up in Sweden. Last year, Wallstedt had a .910 save percentage in Iowa. However, due to the lack of experience from the defenders in front of him, Wallstedt faced a lot of shots and had a 2.70 goals-against average. That’s slightly higher than you’d like to see, but not bad.  

Minnesota’s decision to roster Wallstedt also has a financial aspect. The Wild will have just over $1 million in space, including all seven defenders plus two depth forwards, Jakub Lauko and Reese Johnson. Lauko and Johnson will make $787,500 and $775,000, respectively. That’s 13 forwards and seven defenders with two goalies. I’m also assuming that Marat Khusnutdinov will make the team.

Suppose the Wild want to keep a player like Liam Ohgren and Wallstedt on the roster. Then, they must sacrifice a player like Johnson and keep Lauko as the extra forward. That would give Minnesota around $20,000 in cap space for the season, which is barely enough to make basic moves like injury call-ups. 

Bill Guerin wants Wallstedt to play more than three games this season. Therefore, John Hynes will probably have to manage a three-goalie rotation. 

“We have three real capable goalies that can help us win hockey games,” Hynes told The Athletic. “Jesper had a really good summer, and he’ll really compete with Gus and Flower for the opportunity to play. 

“We want all three of those guys to play really well, push each other, push for games. To be able to come in and compete. It’s not about one guy. It’s about all three — and seeing where things play out during training camp and see where we go once the season starts.”

Guerin could see Fleury playing over half of Minnesota’s games this year. While it may be complicated with three goalies getting reps, it’s not out of the question if the Wild are competitive and bounce back. 

“If Marc-Andre Fleury goes out, plays 40 games at a high level, I’m going to be absolutely impressed,” Guerin told The Athletic. “I think he can do it because he’s a physical specimen, but it’s more than being in good physical shape.”

The Wild should expect a bounce-back from their veteran goalies. However, unless an injury arises, Wallstedt will not make most of Minnesota’s starts. History, finances, and probably Wallstedt himself are all against a three-goalie rotation, but I’m not the one calling the shots in St. Paul. 

Happy training camp!