Could One More Oilers Trade Correct 2021 Draft-Day Mistake?

The Edmonton Oilers have had a tough time against the Minnesota Wild in 2025-26, and a big part of that has been the play of young goaltender Jesper Wallstedt, who stopped 72 of 75 shots across two road wins at Rogers Place.

A high-flying offense getting shut down by a goalie is never fun, but it stings a bit more for Oilers fans, given that it’s the one that got away from former GM Ken Holland in the 2021 NHL Draft. Interestingly enough, Wallstedt’s name has recently resurfaced in trade rumors, and even though Edmonton acquired Tristan Jarry just a month ago, one analyst believes that shouldn’t stop them from pursuing the Swedish netminder.

---

Sportsnet reporter Mark Spector took to X during the game on Saturday, and his take was that the Oilers should try to right their wrong and trade for Wallstedt.

Spector wrote:

“Hot take: Oilers should trade for Wallstedt,”

The 23-year-old has gone 14-5-4 in Minnesota this season, posting a 2.72 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage to go with four shutouts in those 23 starts. He’s in year one of the two-year, $4.4 million extension signed with the Wild in 2024.

Wallstedt was, of course, selected 20th overall by Minnesota in 2021 after they acquired the pick from Edmonton in exchange for the 22nd overall selection—which ended up being Xavier Bourgault—and a 2021 third-round pick.

Could the Oilers Actually Trade for Jesper Wallstedt?

While the idea of Edmonton acquiring Wallstedt is tantalizing, it sounds like Minnesota is only willing to move their former first-round pick for an elite impact player—preferably a center.

From an Oilers perspective, that basically narrows things down to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who is almost certainly untouchable in trade talks. As a result, a deal bringing Wallstedt to Alberta seems unlikely unless GM Bill Guerin is open to a more futures-based package of picks and prospects.

That said, our sources saw Guerin and GM Stan Bowman having a lengthy conversation at the game on Saturday night, and while we don’t know the specifics of what they were discussing, it adds an interesting wrinkle to the situation.

The odds remain against Edmonton pulling off such a move, given Minnesota’s asking price. At the same time, very few around the hockey world would have expected Wallstedt to become a trade candidate in the first place, so perhaps there’s at least a slight opening for the Oilers to make a run at one of the brightest young goalies in the game.

Next: There’s a New Twist in Marc-André Fleury’s Potential NHL Return