Should The Pittsburgh Penguins Acquire Oliver Wahlstrom?

One of the biggest things this offseason is an Oliver Wahlstrom trade. He is a pending free agent as the 24-year-old’s one-year, $874,125 contract has expired. Once free agency opens on July 1, any NHL team can contact him and his agent to work a deal. He will most likely a little more than a million dollars a year.

The Journey For Wahlstrom So Far

After spending one season at Boston College, Oliver Wahlstrom was ready to make the jump to the NHL and enter the draft. In his lone season at Boston College, he logged 19 points in 36 games including eight goals. Many NHL teams were interested in the forward from Portland, Maine. One of the things that stood out to general managers’ the most is his skating abilities. His speedy acceleration mixed in with a great first step and agility impressed scouts. Also, he is an incredible playmaker as he can pass the puck exceptionally well. In addition, he is one of the best stick handlers entering the draft.

Wahlstrom also has a dangerous shot especially his snapshot due to his quick release. His incredible skating ability mixed with his offensive talent was enough for the New York Islanders to select him 11th overall in the 2018 NHL Draft.

Wahlstrom’s NHL career has not been what him or the Islanders have hoped for as he just completed his fifth season and has only played 193 career games. In those 193 games, Wahlstrom has 67 points including 34 goals. The biggest weakness to his game is his inability to play defense as he often seems to watch the puck hoping for a turnover instead of being physical and involved in the play. Also, he does not tend to backcheck.

Should The Pittsburgh Penguins Trade For Oliver Wahlstrom?

It was reported the Pittsburgh Penguins are interested in acquiring Wahlstrom but the main question is should they. The Penguins bottom-six forwards have been an issue since they won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. Head coach Mike Sullivan and General Manager Kyle Dubas will look to improve that unit this summer.

The Penguins could take a look at Wahlstrom as he has the speed and offensive talent to be a valuable bottom-six winger on either side. His age is also a huge plus for the Penguins as this past season, the Penguins were the oldest team in the NHL with an average age of 30.8 years old. Wahlstrom is only 24 years old and if he can play well in Pittsburgh, he will be a key player both in the short-term and long-term.

The biggest key to a Wahlstrom trade is his age. In addition to being young, he will also be cheap which is great for the Penguins. Due to a lot of guys commanding a lot of money on their roster such as their core three, Erik Karlsson, Reilly Smith, and Rickard Rakell, Wahlstrom would only command a little over a million dollars.

Due to the Penguins playing at a more fast pace, Wahlstrom may even be better defensively. Sullivan and new assistant David Quinn, praise the 200 foot game. Another reason why he could breakout in Pittsburgh, is due to Sullivan’s ability to develop players.

His offensive talent could even be put to use on the second powerplay unit. This past season, the Penguins were third to last in the league in powerplay percentage.