Minnesota Wild’s Jesper Wallstedt Should Be Considered The NHL’s 2026-27 Vezina Trophy Front-Runner

The Hockey News argues that Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt should currently be considered the front-runner for the NHL's Vezina Trophy. The 23-year-old netminder has opened the season with a 10-2-3 record across an NHL-leading 15 appearances, posting a 2.06 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage. He also leads the league in advanced metrics, including 12.1 goals saved above expected and a 2.02 wins above replacement score.

Wallstedt has taken on the starting role following an injury to primary goaltender Filip Gustavsson, backed up by Calvin Pickard. While goaltenders like Pyotr Kochetkov and Jacob Fowler have also posted impressive numbers, The Hockey News highlights Wallstedt's workload and high-danger saves as critical factors in Minnesota's early success.