Filip Gustavsson may be sick of sharing a net with Marc-Andre Fleury on the Minnesota Wild, giving the Wild a reason to find him a new destination via trade. Fleury says this will be his last season, but Gustavsson will have to contend with top prospect Jesper Wallstedt for starts once Fleury leaves. Gustavsson won’t find many destinations where he will be the outright No. 1 starter, but Wallstedt could be ready to get the majority of starts by next season.
Gustavsson deserves to get more of an opportunity in the NHL. He has shared the net with Marc-Andre Fleury the last two seasons but has outperformed him behind a weak defense. Gustavsson has a 2.73 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage over 111 appearances. Minnesota regressed this past season which hurt Gustavsson’s numbers, but his performance in 2022-23 is what teams could look at and take a chance on him.
Gustavsson burst onto the scene with Minnesota in 2022-23, owning a .933 save percentage and a 2.16 goals-against average over 39 appearances. If Gustavsson can maintain close to those numbers over an entire season and extended opportunity, he will be one of the best goaltenders in the NHL.
Calgary Flames shift to tandem goaltending with Filip Gustavsson
The Flames traded Jacob Markstrom to the New Jersey Devils this past offseason, paving the way for Dustin Wolf to play full-time. It also took away a possible suitor for Gustavsson’s services. Wolf is a former AHL MVP whose small stature gives some people reason to believe his success may not translate to the NHL level. He played 18 games in the NHL in his career, recording a 3.03 goals-against average and a .896 save percentage.
Wolf may not be the answer to start 60 games per year for the Flames if he can be their starter. It’s more likely that he starts 40-50 games and splits the duties with another goalie. If Wolf falters, the Flames will have to shift to their other goaltender, which right now would be Dan Vladar.
Vladar had an abysmal 2023-24 season, recording a 3.62 goals-against average and a .882 save percentage over 20 games. He isn’t a good option for the Flames and could be shown the door after this season when he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
The 26-year-old Gustavsson would be the perfect option for the Flames. He could split duties with a younger Wolf and eventually become the starter if Wolf doesn’t figure out his NHL struggles. Gustavsson has a much better chance to start ahead of Wolf than Wallstedt.
Philadelphia Flyers need a new goaltender
The Flyers are left looking for a bonafide starter after the horrid charges laid against franchise goaltender Carter Hart. The Flyers don’t have a strong pipeline, and to start this season, rely on Ivan Fedotov and Samuel Ersson.
Ersson took over the net after Hart left the team this past season, appearing in 51 games. He had a 2.82 goals-against average and a .890 save percentage. The Flyers were left looking for a second goaltender, as Felix Sandstrom and Cal Peterson couldn’t step up and perform. Luckily, Fedotov left Russia to join the team and eventually appeared in three games to end the season. The NHL experience was valuable for Fedotov, but his performance was not. He had a .811 save percentage and a 4.95 goals-against average.
Joining the NHL was a whirlwind for Fedotov, so you can expect him to be better this season. However, Gustavsson would be a lot better of a fit alongside Ersson. They are both Swedish natives who are around the same age, which could form a good friendship and tandem for many years for Philadelphia.
San Jose Sharks are short on goalies
The Sharks currently have Mackenzie Blackwood and Vitek Vanacek slated to start the season in San Jose. The pair is a below-average goaltending tandem (ask the Devils), and the only thing they’ll do for the Sharks this season is get them another top-draft pick. The Sharks seem set on being a better contender next season. Grabbing a young goaltender to grow with the core seems like a strong move.
The Sharks are another team with a young Swedish goaltender in the pipeline. He was one of the best goaltenders in college hockey with the University of Denver, boasting a 2.19 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage in his final season. Chrona’s first professional season didn’t go as smoothly, but he has plenty of room to grow.
Once Vanecek and Blackwood’s contracts end next season, Gustavsson and Chrona could form a solid tandem in San Jose. Chrona probably can’t handle a full tandem workload, so Filip Gustavsson will get the opportunity to have 55+ starts like he wants in Minnesota.
