Saturday: The Islanders officially announced (Twitter link) that Ho-Sang has been loaned to Orebro.
Friday: After not being invited to training camp and clearing waivers, Islanders forward Josh Ho-Sang has a place to play this season but it’s not New York’s AHL affiliate in Bridgeport. Instead, the team has loaned him to Orebro of the SHL, reports Arthur Staple of The Athletic (Twitter link). The agreement will be in place for the duration of the season overseas although Ho-Sang will be eligible to return to North America after the SHL playoffs are finished.
It has been a rocky road for the 24-year-old to say the least. While he was a quality offensive player back in junior, it has failed to materialize into success at the professional level. He has just 53 career NHL games under his belt where he has seven goals and 17 assists and after clearing waivers last year, he held out of reporting to the minors in the hopes of forcing a trade. That didn’t occur and he eventually reported to the Sound Tigers before being flipped to San Antonio before the AHL trade deadline in a move that was believed to end his tenure with the Islanders.
Clearly that didn’t happen as the team tendered Ho-Sang a qualifying offer and avoided arbitration in late-October with a one-year, two-way deal worth $700K in the NHL and $225K in the minors. With both sides agreeing already that it’s better for him to not be around the team, it’s hard to imagine there will be another contract for him with the Isles beyond this one.