It could be that new-but-not-so-new Moose Jaw Warriors’ general manager Jason Ripplinger’s plans this off-season hinge on securing the services of one player.
Then-GM Alan Millar took 2002-born goaltender Jesper Wallstedt with the 46th pick in the 2019 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft, and the question of how soon the Warriors can really, seriously make a run at a Western Hockey League championship might very well depend on whether Ripplinger can convince the Swede to come to ‘The Friendly City.
Captain Daemon Hunt announced at the year-end press conference that he plans to return, and with 2004-born Denton Mateychuk – fresh off an underage appearance for Canada at the World U18s – the two look to form the nucleus of a defence corps as good as any in the East Division.
Upfront, the weapons for next year look tantalizing, with a freshly NHL drafted Ryder Korczak joined by the likes of Brayden Yager, Jagger Firkus, Eric Alarie, and Czech-born tank Martin Rysavy all a year older, and three of those – Korczak, Alarie, and Rysavy – will all be NHL draft picks.
Certainly, it is a tantalizing bunch of skaters who are growing up together.
“I really think we’re a contender (right away here),” said Ripplinger at the year-end press conference.
“I think we have a chance to do something really special in Moose Jaw. We’re young, we’re fast, we’re smart, and we need a couple of Euros for next year, that will be two spots and we know they’ll be good players. Our goal is to make a big step for next year and to try to win.”
Find the full video of the year-end press conference here.
That all being said, as the old saying goes: goaltending is 50 percent of hockey unless you don’t have it, and then it’s 80 percent.
Moose Jaw head coach Mark O’Leary was as diplomatic as possible with the media regarding the struggles of his goaltending in the Hub, and while it was at best a good learning experience for 2003-born rookie Brett Mirwald, who ended up playing more minutes than veteran Boston Bilous, it also looked pretty clear that he is not the Warriors’ immediate answer as the No. 1 if they hope to be relevant in 2021-2022.
Enter Wallstedt. TSN’s Bob McKenzie projects the 18-year-old to go around No. 10 at the next NHL Draft, while some even have him in the Top 5.
It is not very often that a draft-eligible goaltender is a regular No. 1 in a top league like the Swedish Hockey League, so even though Wallstedt ultimately lost his starting job at Lulea come playoff time, 22 games played and a 2.23 goals-against average, to go with a solid performance at the World Juniors, he has many scouts and pundits very impressed.
#Hlinka: Wild sequence here as Kirby Dach spins off a check to find Alexis Lafreniere (2020 Draft), who is robbed point-blank by G Jesper Wallstedt (2021 Draft). Alexander Holtz follows up with two chances of his own, including his second post of the night. pic.twitter.com/rfc6rE1Vcz
— The Draft Analyst (@TheDraftAnalyst) August 9, 2018
To put it another way, the only other teenaged goaltender with double-digits in appearances in the SHL this past season was highly-touted Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Hugo Alnefelt, who was also the only teen to do that in 19-20.
Moose Jaw has been open about wanting the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Wallstedt for a couple of years now, and even invited him to come across the pond immediately after the Import Draft for the 19-20 campaign; which he declined.
The Warriors won’t be alone in vying for his services as with a full year of pro hockey under his belt, he is going to be eligible for the American Hockey League, even as a teenager. One would also have to imagine Lulea would love to keep him as well.
So, it all is really up in the air, especially since playing for Lulea, or any team in the AHL, will make him (and his agents) far more cash than playing in the WHL; and money always talks. One factor in Moose Jaw’s favour could be that it would be a more measured transition to the North American game than straight to pro, to go with the possibility for a good team at Mosaic Arena, but to guess what Wallstedt’s preferences, or those of whichever NHL team picks him, are simply impossible to know.
I was going through some Jesper Wallstedt (G, 2021 #NHLDraft) clips and specifically focused on his game against Frolunda on Oct 24.
He lost 4-1 and wasn't flashy, but it was a good example of just how smooth and relaxed in his crease. pic.twitter.com/uDQTEtS3ZJ
— Steven Ellis (@StevenEllisTHN) October 29, 2020
Rumours are also swirling that other CHL teams have been in touch with Ripplinger for Wallstedt’s rights, but it is hard to imagine there is a better option in net for the 2021-22 Warriors than the big Swede.
If Moose Jaw is to entice him, or another premium starter to southern Saskatchewan, it would also be an interesting situation at back-up. Mirwald surely did enough at the Hub with a 3.54 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage – behind a young team that had a bad habit of giving up odd-man rushes against – to get serious consideration for deputy-duty next year. The other option appears to be 16-year-old Calgary product Jackson Unger, whom Ripplinger signed during the Hub, though he only appeared as a backup.
It is all well and good for the Warriors to have all sorts of developing weapons upfront, and the desire to take advantage of this great generation led by the likes of Hunt and Yager, and Korczak; but they will only be taken seriously by the WHL if they can get an elite No. 1 in the sticks, and so as we enter this off-season with only slightly less uncertainty than the last, job Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4 for Rippingler is to land Wallstedt or someone like him.
