Edmonton Oilers
Wild Troll Oilers, Wallstedt Reacts to Oilers ‘Trading Him’ at Draft
Jesper Wallstedt was asked if he had extra motivation to play against an Oilers team that decided not to draft him. He responded.
Goaltender Jesper Wallstedt could have been an Edmonton Oiler. Instead, the Oilers traded away their right to draft him at No. 20 in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft and took Xavier Borgault, while also adding a later-round pick. Still relatively inexperienced, the way his career is progressing, it’s about as close as the Oilers have been in recent years to having acquired a potential star goaltender.
Wallstedt is becoming a star in the league this season. Meanwhile, neither of the players the Oilers selected will have an NHL career. In some situations, being passed and overlooked in a what some might have called an afterthought trade might motivate a player like Wallstedt.
The goaltender shut down any speculation that he was upset or still holding onto feelings related to that draft decision by Edmonton. Asked after the Wild beat the Oilers 1-0 Tuesday night, it was pointed out that he could have been playing with the Oilers if their team had taken him, like most fans and analysts covering the team thought they would.
To this day, there is a good chunk of the Oilers fan base who is still upset about the way the Oilers gave away a potential stud netminder. Even the Wild’s social media team trolled the Oilers after the win on Tuesday night.
When asked whether that provided a bit of extra motivation, he quickly said no.
“No, I’ve seen, and I’ve heard, and it’s been way too much about this.” He added, “I’m drafted by Minnesota, I play here, I love it here, and that’s kind of the end of the conversation.”
Wallstedt Loves Being Part of Wild
For Wallstedt, it’s old news. He was taken by a team that clearly saw big things for him as the Wild traded up to draft him, a move that has turned out to be a wise decision.
For the Oilers, that game was a reminder of a missed opportunity. He stopped all 33 shots sent his way to earn his fourth shutout of the season. His numbers are ungodly this year (1.74 goals against and a .944 save percentage). For the Oilers, his performance had to be a reminder of what could have been.
The reaction from fans to the post by the Wild is as expected. “Oilers fans coping and seething over this pick,” wrote one person. Another added, “LOVE the pettiness wildmin!!”
Next: “Unselfish” McDavid Habit Becoming a Talking Point for the Oilers
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