Oliver Wahlstrom Not Expected To Return To Boston College

After a season that did not go as planned, including rumors of his early departure, it appears as though Oliver Wahlstrom’s tenure at Boston College will come to an end. Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe and Sara Civian of The Athletic have both heard that Wahlstrom will leave BC after just one season, though his next stop is not determined at this point. Civ suggests that Europe is a possibility for the 18-year old forward.

Wahlstrom was the 11th overall pick by the New York Islanders last June, and finally joined BC after flirting with several other schools over the years. Unfortunately that decision doesn’t seem to have panned out very well as Wahlstrom looked lost on the ice at times this year and finished with just 19 points in 36 games. The highly touted forward was expected to dominate the college scene like his former USNDTP linemate Joel Farabee—who will also be leaving the NCAA after one season, signing his first NHL deal with the Philadelphia Flyers—but struggled to create offense or find any consistency on a lackluster BC team.

Fans of the Islanders that may be concerned Wahlstrom is trying to avoid signing with the team need not worry, as they will still hold his rights for several more years. College players that leave early like Los Angeles Kings goaltender Cal Petersen only become free agents if it has been four years since their draft year. Wahlstrom can only sign an NHL contract with the Islanders, though it is unclear what his plans are at this point. If he does sign, spending the 2019-20 season in the AHL would not burn a year of his entry-level contract as he won’t turn 19 until this June.