Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson, after Marc-Andre Fleury’s retirement, will enter ‘more of a rivalry’ again

When he started his pro career in Sweden as a teenager, Filip Gustavsson teamed up with a more experienced goaltender.

“An older guy that was kind of on his way out,” Gustavsson recalled. “He wants the new guys to come up and help the team win.”

That was the only time Gustavsson’s dynamic with the other goalie he worked alongside was more camaraderie than competition … until he joined Marc-Andre Fleury on the Wild.

“Usually, you have more of a rivalry between goalies because only one guy can play,” Gustavsson said. “It felt like he was very happy when I played and vice versa a little bit more, and that’s something that’s very rare. I’m trying to get into this league and be more established all the time. He was on his way out a little bit.

“So, that’s gonna be a change for next year. It’s going to be more of a rivalry again.”

Fleury retiring will also anoint Gustavsson, 26, as the veteran on staff, to up-and-comer Jesper Wallstedt, but Gustavsson’s status as the starter became solidified by his bounce-back season.

“I’m happy I was able to start playing easier again,” Gustavsson said. “Last year, it felt like I tried too hard. I did some weird save selections and a few things like that. I had some games that I would play bad for a little more.

“Now it’s more like less dwelling this year and just straight into the next game. It felt like most of the games I gave the team a chance to win, and that is what it’s about.”

While injuries sapped the lineup in front of him, Gustavsson’s consistency helped keep the Wild afloat.

He rebounded from a down 2023-24 to go 31-19-6 with a .914 save percentage, 2.56 goals-against average and five shutouts, and that steadiness spilled over into the playoffs: Only once, in Game 4 vs. Vegas, did Gustavsson surrender more than three goals, and he finished the best-of-seven series with a better save percentage (.914) and goals-against average (2.71) than the Golden Knights’ Adin Hill despite Vegas winning three in a row (twice in overtime and then by a goal) to eliminate the Wild in Game 6.

“It’s a weird job to have,” Gustavsson said. “They can like you. They don’t like you, and then they can like you again.”

Before last season, there was speculation about whether the Wild would trade Gustavsson after his struggles.

Now, he could sign a contract extension as soon as July 1, but Gustavsson doesn’t have any expectation for a negotiation this summer, although he does want to be here. His three-year, $11.25 million deal expires after next season.

“It’s gonna be a little quiet,” he said about not having Fleury around, with Gustavsson already getting blamed for pranks he isn’t pulling — although he has orchestrated some.

“Usually, I am not the most talkative person, and having him talking and coming up with a lot of things, giving advice, having that very big smile coming into practice every day and competing every Monday morning at 9 o’clock in the morning, doing that, he’s gonna be missed for that.”