The New York Islanders have been relatively quiet this off-season. They signed Anthony Duclair to a four-year deal when free agency opened and otherwise kept their roster intact. On Thursday, they made another big move, signing forward Oliver Wahlstrom to a one-year contract to avoid arbitration. The deal carries a $1 million cap hit, per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
Wahlstrom was drafted in the first round in 2018 and has played sparingly since. Even with a new coach, he failed to crack the lineup, playing in only 10 of the 37 regular season games Patrick Roy coached. Wahlstrom did not play in the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
The pressure is not as significant for Wahlstrom this season, as the Islanders added Duclair to the forward group for more scoring. Duclair's 24 goals from 2023-24 is nearly double Wahlstrom's career high of 13. The experiment of playing Wahlstrom with top forwards Bo Harovat and Mathew Barzal is most likely over. It is time to see what he can provide in a bottom-six role for the team.
With Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck still sitting out on the open market, the Islanders theoretically have two open roster spots. The problem is Wahlstrom's defense. The fourth line of the Islanders has been known as a defensive juggernaut for a decade. Putting Wahlstrom there with center Casey Cizikas could potentially lead to a defensive problem for that unit. Wahlstrom will have to earn a third-line position next to JG Pageau to snag a full-time roster spot.
Projecting Oliver Wahlstrom's 2024-25 season
Oliver Wahlstrom 2024-25 projections: 36 games, 11 goals, 17 assists, 28 points.
Oliver Wahlstrom's season projections all hinge on his spot on the roster when training camp ends. It is feasible that he snags a spot away from newcomer Maxim Tsyplakov or Kyle MacLean. History has shown us, however, that he will not do that. He lost his spot to MacLean in the middle of last season and Tsyplakov is the goal-scoring threat the Islanders wanted Wahlstrom to be. The most likely landing spot for Wahlstrom is as the extra forward in the press box who comes in when players are injured.
That leads us to a similar spot as last year with Wahlstrom. He played in 32 games and did not make his debut until the fourth game of the season. He is on track to play a similar number of games this season, barring significant injury. The Islanders are one of the older teams in the league and having a 24-year-old security blanket is a valuable piece.
The goals, or lack thereof, are the most concerning part of Wahlstrom's career. His best season of offensive output was in the shortened 2020-21 season. He scored 12 goals in 44 games, an 82-game rate of 22 goals. The next year, 2021-22, was very concerning. He scored only 13 goals in 74 games and racked up 74 penalty minutes to lead Islanders forwards. The significant drop-off in offensive production coupled with a lack of discipline led to his first benching at the hands of coach Barry Trotz. Last year, he scored just two goals.
Looking ahead to 2024-25, Wahlstrom must get back to his 2021 totals to maintain a consistent roster spot. With two years of team control remaining, the Islanders should still be trying to get Wahlstrom to the point where he can score 20 goals. Until he proves it, it will be tough sledding for him.
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