Recent years have seen goalies Spencer Knight and Yaroslav Askarov be picked just outside the top 10 of the NHL Draft. In 2021, Swedish goalie Jesper Wallstedt hopes to become the first top-10 pick since Carey Price in 2005. Wallstedt has spent the season with Lulea HF in the SHL. Playing against men, he put up a 12-10-0 record, .908 save percentage, 2.23 goals-against average, and 2 shutouts in 22 games.
Wallstedt also played two games for Sweden at the World Juniors putting up an 0-1-0 record with a .923 save percentage, and 2.40 goals-against average. Wallstedt also helped Sweden to a bronze medal at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup with a .936 save percentage in three games.
Last season, Wallstedt had just one SHL game. Despite a .944 save percentage, he took the loss. He went 16-11-0, with a .923 save percentage and 2.53 goals-against average in 28 games in the Under-20 league. His older brother, Jacob Wallstedt, is another goalie who has played NCAA Hockey in Division as well as lower-level pro hockey in Sweden.
2021 NHL Draft #7: Jesper Wallstedt Scouting Report