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Islanders Need Breakout Year from Oliver Wahlstrom

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Nick Rizzo | Last updated 7/21/23

The New York Islanders have been waiting for the 23-year-old winger, Oliver Wahlstrom, to have a breakout season. Wahlstrom was a pending restricted free agent (RFA) who signed a one-year-prove-it deal with the Islanders on July 17th. He missed the majority of last season with a torn ACL injury. The Islanders are a team that has major scoring problems as is, and they need the former first-round pick to play a full season and contribute. If you look at the small sample size of Wahlstrom’s career, you can see that he has the ability to score goals. He has a wicked wrist shot and is one of the lone guys on the Islanders roster with this sniper ability. He had 13 goals the previous season and 12 the year before.

If Wahlstrom has a strong training camp, he can find himself in a top-six role. They currently have an opening on the first-line wing side with Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, on his NHL Tonight appearance Wednesday, they are still searching for goal scorers, so general manager (GM) Lou Lamoirello may still try and fill that void. If he can’t, Wahlstrom may get the opportunity to play alongside the two best playmakers on the roster, which would be a huge opportunity for him. More than likely, he will be starting the season on the third-line wing spot as he did last season before the injury. One thing that is for sure is the Islanders desperately need goals, and Wahlstrom can score them. Let’s see how he can contribute to a team that is already one of the worst offensively in the league.

Wahlstrom’s Long-Term Fit

Where Whalstrom fits in the lineup this year will be figured out during training camp. A lot of this decision also depends on whether the veteran Zach Parise decides to play this year or retire. If Parise does come back, he will likely play on the third-line wing spot. Wahlstrom will have to earn a spot in the top six at that point, or he could be forced out of the lineup or even traded. It was rumoured that Lamoriello was shopping Wahlstrom and offering him in a potential trade with the Ottawa Senators for Alex Debrincat, along with Pageau (From ‘Possible production from Islanders’ Oliver Wahlstrom one of Lou Lamoriello’s many ‘ifs”, Newsday, 7/15/23). Wahlstrom’s trade value is not high right now coming off an injury, but there is no doubt the potential is there.

Although Wahlstrom has struggled to find consistency in his game, he has an elite shot. The skillset is there for him, and the Islanders need him to develop into the forward they drafted 11th overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. He struggled to find a consistent spot in the lineup under former head coach Barry Trotz. He was often criticized for his play away from the puck and that was something he needed to improve on. “It’s a process with Wally where it’s easy, everybody analytically and everybody who says, ‘Oh just put the kid in, he’ll be fine.’ It doesn’t work that way,” Trotz said. “You get confidence by earning it a little bit. If it comes easy for you and you run into a dry spell or a hard spell, you don’t know where to go,” (From ‘Barry Trotz explains his puzzling handling of Islanders’ Oliver Wahlstrom’, NY Post, 3/6/22).

Projection for Wahlstrom Next Season

Wahlstrom was off to a good start for the 2022-23 season until he suffered the season-ending knee injury. Lamoriello said he fully expects him to be ready for training camp next season and is looking forward to seeing him bounce back (From ‘Oliver Wahlstrom’s Role and Future with Islanders is Unclear, NYI HockeyNow, 7/18/23).

“He will be ready,” Lamoriello said. “He’s started skating, it’s just a matter of getting him where he has to be, but he will be ready for training camp 100%.”

Coming off a major knee injury is tough, especially for such a young player. It may take some time for Wahlstrom to find his game, but this is the year the Islanders need him to explode. He has shown bits and pieces of being a true sniper, and the Islanders have a major need for one.

The big 6-foot-2 forward showed last year before the injury his ability to use his big frame and played a more physical style. If he can continue to be a more physical player, he can be a true force for the Islanders. The ideal spot for him in the lineup to maximize his production would be on that top line with Horvat and Barzal, but this would force Wahlstrom to play on his off-wing. If he truly wants to get the most scoring opportunities, this is the best spot for him. He also can help the Islanders dreadful power-play which was at the bottom of the league next season.

This will be a make-or-break season for the Boston native. The one-year deal was Wahlstrom betting on himself and his talents. If he can have a breakout season, the Islanders would be wise to commit long-term for him. If he struggles to find a consistent spot in the lineup, they will likely try and deal Wahlstom. If I’m a betting man, based on the sample size we saw last year from Wahlstrom, he is poised for a big season.

This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

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