Wild get a devastating update on goalie Filip Gustavsson

The Minnesota Wild are dealing with a mountain of injuries right now, and unfortunately for them, one of the biggest ones isn't going away anytime soon. Head coach John Hynes addressed the media this weekend and delivered some tough news regarding the team's goaltending situation, specifically concerning their big-money netminder who went under the knife during the offseason.

When asked about Filip Gustavsson's timeline, Hynes didn't sugarcoat it. His response? "Quite a ways." Pressed further on whether the goaltender was at least a month away, Hynes confirmed that a return within the next four weeks was unlikely. That means the earliest Wild fans can realistically hope to see Gustavsson between the pipes is sometime around mid-November, and even that feels optimistic given the coach's tone.

Where things stand with Gustavsson's recovery

Gustavsson had hip surgery during the summer, and there was never a concrete return date attached to the procedure. The 28-year-old Swede was placed on long-term injured reserve earlier in October, so the latest update isn't entirely shocking, but it still stings for a team trying to stay competitive in the early going.

The one silver lining is that Gustavsson has at least started skating on his own. He's been spotted around the rink and has taken the initial steps toward getting back on the ice. But there's a massive gap between solo skating sessions and being ready to face NHL-caliber shots in a real game, so patience is going to be key here.

This is also a rough way to kick off a brand new contract. Gustavsson signed a five-year extension worth $34 million last year, and missing this much time to start the first season of that deal is far from ideal. Minnesota is paying him to be a cornerstone of their goaltending tandem, and instead they're watching him rehab from the sidelines.

The ripple effects on Minnesota's roster and cap

The extended absence has opened the door for Jesper Wallstedt to grab the starting role and run with it, and the young goalie has done exactly that. Wallstedt leads the entire league in minutes played through the early portion of the schedule and has been outstanding, posting a 1.99 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage across eight starts. Calvin Pickard has filled in as the backup, though his workload has been minimal.

Wallstedt's emergence is great news in the short term, but it could create some interesting financial headaches down the road. He's a pending restricted free agent with arbitration rights this summer, and if he keeps performing at this level, he could push for legitimate starter money north of $8 million. Combine that with Gustavsson's hefty deal and GM Bill Guerin's desire to lock up defenseman Quinn Hughes before he reaches unrestricted free agency, and you've got the makings of a serious salary cap crunch.

For now, though, those are problems for another day. The immediate concern is navigating the next month-plus without Gustavsson and hoping the young duo of Wallstedt and Pickard can keep things afloat. When Gustavsson does eventually get cleared, the Wild will also need to make roster moves to get back into cap compliance to activate him off LTIR, which could mean Pickard ends up on waivers. It's a lot of moving pieces for a team already battling through a brutal stretch of injuries.