Detroit Red Wings: 3 players to consider drafting with sixth overall pick
By Tyler Kotila
Jesper Wallstedt, G (Catches Left), Luleå HF (SHL)
More from Detroit Red Wings
- 3 Michigan Sportsbook Promos You Can’t Afford to Miss (Unlock Over $2,400!)
- BetMGM Michigan Bonus: $1,000 No-Sweat Bet to Back ANY Detroit Team
- SI Sportsbook Offers Michigan Bettors an Exclusive Promo Bonus (10x Your Money!)
- Detroit Red Wings: Can Lucas Raymond produce as he did in rookie year?
- Detroit Red Wings: Can Michael Rasmussen find his niche role?
It’s pretty clear that the Tampa Bay Lightning are being elevated to another level of play with the success of their goaltender.
Andrei Vasilevskiy has been incredible between the pipes for Tampa Bay and might go down as one of the best netminders to play the game.
Vasilevskiy was selected with the 19th overall pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Could the Red Wings be following the blueprint that was used in Tampa Bay Lightning architecture? If that is the case and the Red Wings want to go get their goalie early, Jesper Wallstedt is the guy.
Wallstedt is a Swedish netminder who appears to have all the tools to be a future stud in the NHL. He plays for Luleå HF of the SHL, where he pieced together a 12-10-0 record over 22 games played. He managed a 2.23 goals-against average (GAA) and a .908 save percentage (SV%) in the SHL.
He’s been a workhorse over in Sweden, a netminder who has plenty to like. The 6-foot-3, 214-pound netminder catches with his left hand and plays a butterfly style in the crease. He’s a highly decorated netminder who has worked incredibly hard to this point.
He’s played up in age levels and been able to find success. His 2021 Draft Profile by Steve Kournianos on The Draft Analyst should give Red Wings fans plenty of reasons to be happy if he is selected.
The Swede grew up idolizing longtime New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist, and it appears he could become a truly great goaltender like his idol. A goalie who could be the cornerstone for this organization would be huge.
Next. Signing Gabriel Landeskog is a pipe dream for the Detroit Red Wings. dark
The Red Wings do not have their goalie of the future yet; selecting Wallstedt could be Yzerman’s way of bringing in the goalie of the future like Vasilevskiy in Tampa Bay.