With Wallstedt and Ohgren, the Wild have flexibility.
Neither player requires waivers to get to Iowa in the American Hockey League. Should Ohgren, 20, idle too long as a reserve, he could go to Iowa to play, but he also believes being around the team will be a learning experience for him. The winger wasn’t at his best at the start of camp but rebounded, with Hynes calling Ohgren’s speed and competitiveness on the puck noticeable.
“I feel like I was thinking a lot, especially first week and first [preseason] game on everything, on the system and about making the team or not, just too many thoughts,” said Ohgren, who was drafted by the Wild in the first round (19th) in 2022 and played four games last season. “Then I had to talk with Hynsie, and I feel like that was a great talk. He just said I need to go out and play my game and be myself.
“After that, I feel like I played better and better every practice and every game as well.”
Another first-round pick (20th overall in 2021), Wallstedt has justified the Wild’s openness to carrying three goalies.
He stopped 63 of 68 shots in two preseason games and has returned looking like the goalie he was at the end of the season, when he turned the page on a difficult NHL debut at Dallas (a 7-2 loss) by winning his next two starts with the Wild. Wallstedt is 40-34-9 with a .909 save percentage, a 2.69 goals-against average and three shutouts during two seasons with Iowa.