2026-27 IOWA WILD SEASON PREVIEW
Oct 1, 2026After 166 long days, the 2026-27 season is just one night away. For Iowa Wild fans, the wait will finally come to a close when the team visits the Texas Stars on Friday at 7 p.m.
Iowa’s roster features exciting prospects, a stable defensive group, veteran stars, and a goaltending battle. The team also hired a new head coach (and former player) in Stu Bickel this offseason.
In this season preview, fans can learn about the organization’s outlook for the season, the process behind creating this season’s roster, and the attributes of the team’s new players.
GOALTENDERS
Iowa enters the season with two young goalies in competition for the starter’s spot. Riley Mercer and William Rousseau see increased playing opportunities following a 2025-26 season during which each goaltender split time between the AHL and ECHL. Rousseau finished 3-5-4 with a .908 SV% and a 2.69 GAA with the Wild last year while Mercer went 4-3-1 with a .899 SV% and a 2.60 GAA.
DEFENSE
Continuity is the name of the game for Iowa’s defensive corps; all eight players on the team’s opening night roster played with the team in 2025-26.
Carson Lambos, who played his first NHL game with the Minnesota Wild in 2025-26, signed with the team as a restricted free agent in the offseason. The Winnipeg, Manitoba native will look to continue his growth and crack the NHL roster more frequently following a season during which he tied his career high for points (19).
Iowa will continue to turn to Matt Kiersted, an alternate captain, for reliability on the blue line. The 28-year-old plays responsibly on either side of the ice and can offer Minnesota valuable minutes in the NHL.
Roman Schmidt, who Minnesota acquired in a March trade with Philadelphia, played 19 games with Iowa down the stretch. At 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, Schmidt provides an imposing presence and reach that poses difficulty for opposing forwards.
Fans in Des Moines will finally have an opportunity to watch the 6-foot-6 Viking Gustafsson Nyberg, who played two road games with Iowa following his senior season at the University of Connecticut before being recalled to Minnesota for the remainder of the season. Gustafsson Nyberg skates well and brings an impressive level of vision on the offensive end.
Jack Peart, who doubled his point output during his sophomore season, impressed during Iowa’s preseason games against Manitoba in St. Paul. Peart will look to use his deceptiveness to help the Wild generate more scoring opportunities in 2026-27.
Stevie Leskovar enters the second year of his entry-level contract and continues to bring physicality to Iowa’s lineup. Leskovar adds to his nastiness with a willingness to sacrifice and put his body on the line to help the team.
Following a rookie season in which split time between the AHL and ECHL, Mike Koster earned a second two-way contract and the opportunity to continue to contribute with Iowa. Ben Dexheimer also enters his first full season of professional hockey after serving as captain at the University of Wisconsin.
FORWARDS
Iowa will be led up front by team captain Mason Shaw, who returned to the Minnesota Wild organization this summer following two seasons with the Manitoba Moose. Entering his eighth professional season, Shaw is a driver who oozes leadership not only in his commitment on the ice, but also in his ability to connect with teammates.
The leadership group is rounded out by Gerry Mayhew, Dylan Gambrell, and Tyler Pitlick. Mayhew, a dependable offensive producer, brings over 500 games of AHL experience to Iowa’s lineup. Despite joining the Wild after the 2025-26 season had already begun, Gambrell averaged just over a point per game and will continue to play a prominent part in Iowa’s special teams play. Pitlick, who has played in 452 NHL games and 297 AHL games, also factored heavily into Iowa’s attack when he was in the team’s lineup last season.
Hunter Haight, Iowa’s 2026 AHL All-Star Classic representative, brings an offensive threat to the Wild lineup. During his third professional season, he will continue to develop toward becoming a full-time NHL player by leveraging his energy, physicality, and ability to score.
Rieger Lorenz, who played three games with Iowa after winning a national championship with the University of Denver, impressed at NHL training camp. Lorenz isn’t the only rookie power forward in Iowa’s lineup; he will be joined by Charlie Stramel, who was a Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalist with Michigan State University in 2025-26.
New faces among Iowa’s forwards also include Justin Kirkland, Jagger Joshua, and Nick Rhéaume. Kirkland enters the season with 500 professional games under his belt and has averaged over 20 points per season across 10 AHL seasons. Joshua is an explosive, powerful player who is responsible along the wall and unafraid to stand up for his teammates. Rhéaume, whose father, Pascal, served as an assistant coach for Iowa in 2014-15, plays an intelligent, hard-nosed game.
Iowa’s returning forward group also includes Riley Heidt, Rasmus Kumpulainen, and Caedan Bankier. Heidt and Kumpulainen will continue to round out their games in their second professional seasons. Bankier returns to the fold after signing with Minnesota as a restricted free agent and will look to increase his production throughout the year.
Bradley Marek will continue to play meaningful minutes for the Wild, killing penalties and bringing energy to the team. Iowa will also rely on Braidan Simmons-Fischer to bring physicality and toughness to the lineup after joining the team late in 2025-26.
COACHING
During the offseason, the team hired Stu Bickel as the eighth head coach in team history. Bickel spent the last five seasons as an assistant coach with Coachella Valley and Springfield, where he reached the Calder Cup Finals three consecutive times. He previously played twice in Iowa with the Chops (2008-09) and Wild (2014-15).
While Bickel ran a physically demanding training camp and brings an intensity to the position, his playing career also offers him the ability to relate to his players. As the season gets underway, he and his staff want to develop a winning culture and provide fans with a fast, exciting brand of hockey.