Wallstedt and Fowler: Watch the Shooters, Not Just the Goalies
Two of the NHL's top young goalies on learning from shooters, playing out, and what to actually watch this summer, from InGoal's 2026 Coaches & Camps Guide
Jesper Wallstedt had only been a goalie for six years when Minnesota took him in the first round of the 2021 draft. Jacob Fowler still likes to play out in his downtime, even now as a pro. Neither thinks that is a coincidence.
In “Watch and Learn (From Shooters Too),” Colin Hodd and Kevin Woodley’s feature in InGoal’s 2026 Coaches & Camps Guide, two of the game’s best young goalies make the case that time spent as a player, and time spent studying the ones shooting on you, is goalie development too.
Trying to get the perspective of the players on the ice, I think that helped me a lot, so when I got into the goal, I maybe was a little bit better skater in the goal than the other goalies, and maybe I could see the plays happening a little bit before in some ways. I try to visualize and read the plays before they happen still, so I think I got a lot of things from playing as a player too. I'm really happy that I stuck with playing both for as long as I could.
Hear it in his own words, from InGoal Radio Episode 129.
For the Goalies Too Far Along to Play Out
Can’t exactly pick up a player stick at this point? The story covers that too: what Fowler says he still picks up from NHL shooters every day, the Stanley Cup and Vezina winners who specialized late, and how to turn a summer camp full of shooters and other goalies into a scouting opportunity. There’s also Wallstedt on receiving coaching, and why the best goalie coaching is a dialogue, not a dictatorship.
If you’re a goalie parent wondering whether your kid should keep playing out, this one’s for you as well: our Goalie Parents Hub pairs nicely with it.
Go Deeper on InGoal
Born Nov 14, 2002 · Vasteras, Sweden — Drafted 2021 · Rd 1, #20 overall
| SEASON | GP | W | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | 3 | 2 | 3.01 | .897 | 1 |
| 2024-25 | 2 | 0 | 4.09 | .843 | 0 |
| 2025-26 | 35 | 18 | 2.61 | .916 | 4 |
| CAREER | 40 | 20 | 2.72 | .911 | 5 |
Born Nov 24, 2004 · Melbourne, Florida, United States — Drafted 2023 · Rd 3, #5 overall
| SEASON | GP | W | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 17 | 9 | 2.43 | .908 | 1 |
| CAREER | 17 | 9 | 2.43 | .908 | 1 |