VANCOUVER, B.C. — Richard Bachman was with AHL Iowa near the end of a two-week road trip on Tuesday, this time in Milwaukee, when he made sure to turn on some of the Minnesota Wild game.
Bachman, the Iowa goalie coach, had worked with Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt during his first three years as a pro, so he wanted to see how the touted prospect was doing. He caught some of the third period and, of course, the postgame celebration, with Wallstedt giving a fist-bump after his fifth shutout of the season, a 1-0 victory over the Oilers.
“I love it. I love it,” Bachman told The Athletic. “That’s the one part I enjoy as much as seeing him with all the details — the big smile … the big fist pump with the blocker. You can really see he’s having fun. … To see the joy he’s having out there, it’s awesome to see.”
Bachman was with Wallstedt during the Swede’s low point last season, the worst year of his career. As Wallstedt put it, he knows what it’s like to not have fun with the game he loves. He said back then, those struggles would end up being the best thing for Wallstedt and would help him in the NHL. It’s hard to argue.
Wallstedt has been one of the best goalies in the league this year, boasting an 8-0-2 record heading into Saturday’s game in Vancouver. He’s doing things as a rookie goaltender that haven’t been done in, oh, about 90 years, and it hasn’t surprised Bachman one bit.
“You could see in his eyes when he got to training camp, just the focus he had, the intensity, the compete that he was playing with then,” Bachman said. “Now it’s transitioning into games. It’s fun to watch, knowing everything that he went through. But then you see the way he’s playing, he’s quick to position, he’s calm and in control, he’s over pucks, he’s controlling rebounds, making good reads, a lot of the little things that he’s obviously done really well his entire life. That’s why he was a first-round pick.”
Wallstedt’s run is grabbing attention around the league.
Former NHL goalie Jamie McLennan, now an analyst with TSN, has been struck by how big and powerful Wallstedt is, using his size to his advantage. He handles the puck confidently and is positionally sound, McLennan says, and he doesn’t beat himself. The calmness stands out.
“He has a chance to be an elite starter in the NHL if he progresses,” McLennan said Friday. “Keep in mind it’s early on, and there is going to be a market correction for him (scouting and exposing weaknesses). But he has a No. 1 goalie skill set.”
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Former NHL players Mike Rupp and Brian Boyle also discussed Wallstedt the other day for an NHL Network segment as clips flashed across the screen.
“He doesn’t get out of position,” Rupp said. “He looks very under control, calm, he looks very structured, he’s in a rocking chair, but that’s what you want from your goaltender.”
“I think you just have command,” Boyle replied. “Listen, when you played, and you played against a good goaltender, Carey Price comes to mind with me. You come down, you have a great scoring chance, you shoot a puck and he’s in the net. He barely moves and just catches it. Nothing surprises him. It plays with your psyche a little bit. It gets in your head. Like this guy, I’m throwing muffins at him. What is going on? Why is it so easy for this guy?”
Wallstedt has said his issues last season weren’t because of his “game plan” or his structure. A lot of it was mental, starting with the disappointment of not being part of the expected three-goalie rotation with the Wild at the start of the season. Wallstedt also suffered three separate injuries, including a groin issue and a concussion, that interrupted his progress. Bachman said Wallstedt did some great work and prep in the offseason to get his body in the right place.
The exit meeting message was about putting the season behind him and working on some things that would help him avoid injuries, such as incorporating Pilates or yoga to improve hip flexibility. It was about putting the whole package together, from how you eat, how you sleep, how you work on mobility and train. It was about being a pro 24/7.
“The message is, ‘This is a big opportunity coming up for you, and you’ve got to be ready once camp comes,’” Bachman said.
Wallstedt arrived in Minnesota in early August, giving him a full month to work and train with Wild players and off-ice staff. He also formed a stronger relationship with No. 1 Filip Gustavsson through dinners, golf outings and video games. By the time camp rolled around, Wallstedt was locked in and “on” for every rep in practice, as goalie coach Frederic Chabot put it.
As his performance has surged, Wallstedt has been the first to credit his teammates and how well they’ve defended in front of him. It’s played a big role in his success early this season, but the rookie is also earning their trust with how calm and confident he is in net, how much he communicates on the ice. There’s also how well he performs in the clutch.
The fact that AHL Iowa wasn’t a very good team last year likely also played a role in Wallstedt’s down year. The style of play in the NHL fits Wallstedt’s strengths better, too.
“In the NHL, I find there’s more predictability,” said Bachman, a goalie who played 49 NHL games. “The execution is a little bit better, whether it’s breakouts or coverage in the slot. They execute cleaner. One of (Wallstedt’s) strengths is his ability to make reads and see the game develop and see where threats are. And when you have a little bit more consistency and predictability, now you’re a little more confident. Like, ‘Hey, if I hit this spot, I know I’m covered here. I’ve got A, B and C covered. Where in the AHL, sometimes the puck will fumble or jump, and then the play you’re trying to read doesn’t materialize. It’s kind of a broken play.”
When Wallstedt looks calm in the crease — as he does now — it reflects the strength of his game plan. He’s not the type of goaltender who is going to dive all over the crease and make acrobatic saves, like Marc-Andre Fleury.
“My game plan is to make the puck come to me in the right place at the right time,” Wallstedt said. “Usually, when it looks like they more so hit me than I’m saving them, it’s a good sign. I felt that way (Tuesday).
“As soon as I start to look like I’m out of place or a little bit everywhere, that’s not a good sign usually. It comes with confidence. I’m confident, and I know the way as a team and myself have been playing has been successful.”
At this point, Wallstedt has put himself in the early Calder Trophy conversation among a group likely led by New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer. Wallstedt hasn’t caught the eye of the management team for Team Sweden’s Olympic roster quite yet, as he said he’s not heard anything from them (Gustavsson, Linus Ullmark and Jacob Markstrom are holdovers from the 4 Nations Face-Off and likely picks if healthy).
For now, Wallstedt is just enjoying the ride and not taking any success for granted. Both he and Bachman remember what it was like for him to go the other way.
“Now he’s making a statement,” said three-time Cup champion Pat Maroon, now an NHL Network analyst. “That pick they had is looking really good for them.”