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Oliver Wahlstrom

Metropolitan Notes: Fox, Pesce, DeAngelo, Wahlstrom

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Rangers defenseman Adam Fox, who had missed practice recently for maintenance, skated today and indicated to reporters including USA Today’s Vince Z. Mercogliano (Twitter link) that he will be good to go for tomorrow’s series opener against Carolina.  The 26-year-old was a point-per-game player for the first time this season, collecting 17 goals and 56 assists in 72 games while logging a team-best 23:27 per game.  In the first round against Washington, Fox picked up a pair of helpers while averaging a little under 22 minutes a night which still led all New York defenders.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • While the Hurricanes are hopeful that defenseman Brett Pesce (lower body) will return at some point in the second round, it won’t be at the beginning of the series. Team reporter Walt Ruff relays (Twitter link) that the 29-year-old won’t be accompanying the team to New York and has been ruled out of the first two games of the series.  However, Tony DeAngelo, who took a slash to the arm in Carolina’s last game, has been cleared to play and should continue to suit up in Pesce’s absence.
  • Islanders winger Oliver Wahlstrom was non-committal about the prospect of returning next season, notes Ethan Sears of the New York Post. It was a rough year for the 23-year-old who struggled out of the gate as he worked his way back from offseason knee surgery.  Once he did get up to speed, he struggled, finding himself a frequent healthy scratch down the stretch; he didn’t play at all during the playoffs.  The end result saw Wahlstrom collect just two goals and four assists in 32 games.  A pending restricted free agent owed a $917.8K qualifying offer next month with arbitration rights, a change of scenery might be best for him but his trade value will be at a low point coming off the year he just had.

Metropolitan Notes: Penguins, Sanheim, Svechnikov, Wahlstrom

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The Pittsburgh Penguins tweeted today that forwards Rickard Rakell, Noel Acciari, as well as defenseman Chad Ruhwedel will all be game-time decisions when the Pittsburgh Penguins take on the Minnesota Wild this evening. The news was announced by Pittsburgh head coach Mike Sullivan who has been trying to manage a litany of injuries up and down the Penguins lineup.

Pittsburgh has been mired in a cycle of inconsistent and sloppy play that has been a constant throughout the first third of the NHL season. They are currently sitting in seventh place in the Metropolitan division and are five points out of a wild card position.

The Penguins put forward Bryan Rust on IR just a few days ago, which left them with two big holes in their top 6, however, with the potential return of Rakell it seems likely that he will have an opportunity to fill one of those holes. Rakell has been practicing on a line with Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel and given his history with the duo it seems likely he return to that spot either tonight or later this week.

Acciari had been centering the Penguins’ fourth line before his injury and seems likely to take up that spot if and when he does return, while Ruhwedel will likely get a look on the Penguins’ third defensive pairing, presumably with youngster John Ludvig who has emerged on the backend for Pittsburgh in recent weeks.

In other Metropolitan Division notes:

  • Kevin Kurz of The Athletic is reporting that Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim was back at practice today and should be good for tomorrow night’s game against the New Jersey Devils. Sanheim was dealing with an undisclosed illness and missed Saturday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings. The 27-year-old had been heating up before getting sick as he had posted two goals and three assists in his previous five games. Sanheim has been a huge part of the Flyers’ surprising start to the season as his 21 points in 29 games has him second in team scoring behind Travis Konecny.
  • Carolina Hurricanes reporter Walt Ruff is reporting that Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov was a full participant in today’s practice and even was seen taking power play reps with the team. Ruff goes on to add that the 23-year-old could be back in the lineup as soon as tomorrow night against the Vegas Golden Knights. Svechnikov has missed the last six games with an upper-body injury and struggled the week prior to getting hurt. On the season, the former second-overall pick has just a single goal in 16 games, although he does have 10 assists as well. Carolina has underperformed so far this season but currently sits in the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Getting Svechnikov healthy and productive once again could be a big boost for Carolina as they close in on the mid-way point of the season.
  • Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News is reporting that New York Islanders forward Oliver Wahlstrom missed practice today with an illness. The 23-year-old was unlikely to play in tomorrow night’s game even if healthy as he has been a healthy scratch for the Islanders in seven straight games. Wahlstrom has just two goals and three assists in 17 games this season and has been averaging less than 12 minutes of ice time a game when he has been in the lineup.

Injury Notes: Puljujarvi, Couture, Wahlstrom

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A few days ago, an insider for TSN, Chris Johnston, spoke tepidly about the possible return of former fourth-overall selection of the 2016 NHL Draft, Jesse Puljujarvi. After an apathetic transition to the Carolina Hurricanes at least year’s trade deadline, Puljujarvi went through double hip surgery only a couple of months ago, and will likely be seeing his third NHL opportunity.

Given his career trajectory up to this point, if Puljujarvi is able to work his way back adequately from surgery, he will almost assuredly be playing on a two-way deal, destined for the majority of the season in the AHL. In the most successful year of his career back during the 2021-22 NHL season, Puljujarvi was only able to procure 14 goals and 22 assists, hardly satisfying numbers from a top-five overall pick, especially entering into the prime age of his career.

If not already maxed out his potential as a hockey player, Puljujarvi is incredibly close to the cutoff line. When the return comes, there may be an opportunity on a rebuilding team such as the Anaheim Ducks, Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, or San Jose Sharks; however, even their interest may be mild.

Other injury notes:

  • The captain of the San Jose Sharks, Logan Couture, has already missed the team’s opening night game against the Vegas Golden Knights and is expected to miss tonight’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. Couture has been out with a lower-body injury since September 21st, but tonight’s game may be the last he misses. According to Curtis Pashelka of the Bay Area News Group, Couture is close to skating again and should join the team back on the ice soon.
  • Even though he was cleared to play earlier in the summer, forward for the New York Islanders, Oliver Wahlstrom, is still regaining strength in his knee according to Andrew Gross of Newsday. Last season, after the knee injury would sideline him for the rest of the season at the end of December, Wahlstrom played in 35 games, scoring seven goals and nine assists.

Metro Notes: Wahlstrom, Voronkov, Othmann

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2023-24 is shaping up to be a make-or-break year for Oliver Wahlstrom and his future with the New York Islanders. The 2018 11th overall pick has a one-year, $874k contract in place and is coming off of a season where he had some real momentum, only for injuries to keep his campaign to just 35 games played. The start of the season will be important for the 23-year-old, as The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz writes that if Wahlstrom “can’t stay in the lineup, it will probably be time for the Islanders to give him a fresh start somewhere else” via a trade. (subscription link)

A change-of-scenery trade for Wahlstrom could end up being the best course of action for his future, as he has struggled for years to put together a productive season in the Islanders organization. In Wahlstrom’s lone season as a full-time AHLer, he managed 10 goals and 22 points in 45 games, decent numbers but not the overwhelming production expected of a top prospect. In the NHL, Wahlstrom’s best offensive season saw him score 12 goals and 21 points in 44 games, a 22-goal, 39-point 82-game pace. He clearly has the offensive talent to accomplish more in the NHL than he’s shown so far, so tracking how he’s doing for the Islanders early in the season will likely be one of the more intriguing storylines to watch on Long Island.

Some other notes from the Metropolitan Division:

  • Although the Columbus Blue Jackets rookie drawing the most attention is rightfully 2023 third-overall pick Adam Fantilli, Russian import Dmitri Voronkov could end up a quietly effective first-year player in Ohio. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline names Voronkov as one of three Blue Jackets prospects standing a decent chance to make the team’s opening-night roster. (subscription link) Voronkov, 23, is a big six-foot-three pivot who hasn’t yet played in North America, but impressed with 18 goals and 31 points in the KHL last season. He could be in play to make new head coach Pascal Vincent’s opening-night roster.
  • As one of the New York Rangers’ top prospects, Brennan Othmann is expected by many to make an impact on the Rangers’ NHL roster sooner rather than later. But according to USA Today’s Vince Z. Mercogliano, Othmann may have to wait. Mercogliano writes that the “expectation is that” Othmann will begin the season in the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack, although a strong training camp could obviously change things. But since New York signed several veteran bottom-six forwards such as Alex Belzile and Tyler Pitlick, Othmann may begin his pro career off Broadway.

New York Islanders Re-Sign Oliver Wahlstrom

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The New York Islanders have taken care of business with their last notable restricted free agent, re-signing forward Oliver Wahlstrom to a one-year deal. The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports that Wahlstrom agreed to his qualifying offer, which would carry a cap hit of just $874,125 next season.

The 23-year-old sniper went 11th overall to the Islanders in the 2018 NHL Draft, but he’s yet to really hit his stride as a pro hockey player. Last season certainly didn’t help matters – a lower-body injury kept him out past the new year and limited him to just 35 games.

He’s played 161 NHL games thus far in his career, notching decent production with 32 goals and 61 points, but he hasn’t cemented himself in a top-six role yet. That’s what he was drafted to do, and he’ll need to impress in his standard third-line minutes in order to move up a famously rigid Islanders depth chart.

He should get some help playing alongside Jean-Gabriel Pageau, one of the better third-line centers in the league, but he’ll likely need some more power play opportunities under head coach Lane Lambert to get his goal-scoring confidence back after a trying couple of campaigns.

This is an important signing for the Islanders to get done in salary cap terms. They had very little flexibility, and getting Wahlstrom to agree to his qualifying offer leaves them with just enough space to remain cap-compliant to start the season with a full 23-player roster with no corresponding moves. However, it won’t be much – likely less than $500K of cap space on opening night.

If the Islanders are to reach the playoffs again in a competitive Eastern Conference, Wahlstrom’s depth scoring will likely be a big part of it. He’s set to be a restricted free agent again next summer.

East Notes: Islanders, Amerks, Leblanc

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The Islanders were one of the teams interested in winger Alex DeBrincat with Newsday’s Andrew Gross reporting that Jean-Gabriel Pageau and winger Oliver Wahlstrom were part of their pitch to Ottawa to try to get DeBrincat’s services.  Presumably, the offer would have also featured a first-round pick and another younger element.  Pageau is no stranger to Ottawa having spent parts of eight seasons with the team but the 30-year-old has three years left on his contract with a $5MM AAV, a price tag the Sens likely didn’t want to take on.  The total salary in the trade they did make with Detroit was assuming the final year and $2.5MM of Dominik Kubalik’s contract.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • The Sabres announced the hiring of two new assistant coaches for AHL Rochester, naming Nathan Paetsch and Vinny Prospal to the role. Paetsch has worked as a development coach for Buffalo for the last two seasons while Prospal most recently served as the head coach for HC Ceske Budejovice in the Czech Extraliga with that stint ending after the 2020-21 campaign.  The two former NHL veterans will take the place of two other former veterans that have been promoted to jobs at the top level with Paetsch replacing Mike Weber (Blues) and Prospal filling the spot of Mike Peca (Rangers).
  • Anthony Leblanc has stepped down as Ottawa’s President of Business Operations and Alternate Governor, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. Leblanc had held that role since 2020 and had previously spent time in the NHL with Arizona from 2013-2017.  Changes shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise with Michael Andlauer set to take over soon as the new owner of the team.  Andlauer was advised in his pursuit of the team by former Senators executive Cyril Leeder; Garrioch suggests that Leeder could return to the club once the purchase is officially finalized.

Islanders Notes: Bailey, Coaching Staff, Free Agents, Injury Updates

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Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello met with the media today (video link) and provided updates on several things while also confirming that he is under contract, though he declined to state for how long.  Here are some of the updates from his presser.

  • Speaking about veteran winger Josh Bailey, Lamoriello indicated that “In Josh’s case, it looks like, maybe it’s near the end here.” The 33-year-old had a rough showing this season, notching just eight goals and 17 assists in 64 games, resulting in him being a healthy scratch at times.  Bailey still has one year left on his contract with a $5MM AAV, one that would require New York to provide an incentive for another team to take on.  A buyout, meanwhile, would save around $2.33MM on the cap for next season while adding $1.167MM in dead space for 2024-25.
  • Lamoriello also confirmed that head coach Lane Lambert would be back for his second season behind the bench. The team was eliminated in the first round by Carolina and didn’t take as big of a step forward offensively as expected; the team scored just 12 more goals than they did under the defensive-minded Barry Trotz.  However, Lamoriello wouldn’t confirm that the full coaching staff would be back for next year, stating “that’s not something that I can assert to at this point”.  John MacLean and Doug Houda were the lead assistants this season for the Isles.
  • Lamoriello indicated that he’d like to re-sign pending UFA defenseman Scott Mayfield, goaltender Semyon Varlamov, and forward Pierre Engvall. Mayfield has become a steady top-four blueliner and should more than double the $1.45MM AAV from his expiring deal.  Varlamov played in just 23 games this season, his fewest games played total since getting a brief stint in his rookie year in 2008-09.  He’s coming off a $5MM contract and will be facing a likely cut in pay, especially if he wants to remain in New York.  Engvall, meanwhile, came over at the trade deadline from Toronto and picked up nine points in 18 games following the swap.  He’s coming off a $2.25MM contract and should be in line for more than that on the open market.  With the Islanders having a little over $5MM in cap space per CapFriendly, they have some work to do if they want to bring those three back.
  • As for Zach Parise, another pending UFA, Lamoriello mentioned he’d also like to bring him back but the veteran first needs to decide if he’s going to play again next season. The 38-year-old had a productive year with 21 goals but after 18 NHL seasons, it’s certainly possible that he decides to call it a career.
  • Lamoriello also noted that winger Oliver Wahlstrom has resumed skating as he works his way back from an ACL injury back in late December. He, along with Alexander Romanov (shoulder surgery), are both set to be ready in time for training camp.

Islanders Rule Oliver Wahlstrom Out For The Season

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If the Islanders are going to earn a Wild Card seed, they’ll be doing so with winger Oliver Wahlstrom.  GM Lou Lamoriello announced today that Wahlstrom has been ruled out for the season due to a lower-body injury suffered back in December.

The 22-year-old looked to be on his way to establishing new career highs offensively as he had seven goals and nine assists in 35 games prior to the injury.  The uptick in per-game production came despite his playing time remaining relatively flat at just over 12 minutes a night as he seemed to adjust well under first-year coach Lane Lambert.

That said, this certainly isn’t the way that Wahlstrom wanted his entry-level contract to end with only playing half of his platform season.  He’s set to become a restricted free agent this summer without arbitration rights and while he’ll undoubtedly earn more than his $874K qualifying offer, he’s almost certainly looking at a short-term bridge contract.

Fortunately for New York, there was also some good news on the injury front as the Isles also revealed that center Mathew Barzal is set to resume skating either today or tomorrow.  The 25-year-old has missed more than a month with a lower-body injury but still sits second on the team in scoring with 14 goals and 37 assists in 58 games.  Getting Barzal back for the final few games would go a long way toward helping them lock down a playoff position.

Snapshots: Canucks, Wahlstrom, Leskinen

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No matter which side you came down on regarding the Vancouver Canucks-New York Islanders trade from last night, it was still something of a surprise. Many felt that the Islanders made a mistake by using futures in a season where they are struggling, while others believed the Canucks could have landed more for Bo Horvat. If you’re in the latter group, you probably won’t like hearing Kevin Weekes’ latest report for ESPN.

Weekes tweets that another club involved in the Horvat dealings told him the Canucks didn’t shop the offer around, seeing if anyone could beat it. Instead, they “locked in” on the package that the Islanders were putting on the table, which included Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty, and a first-round pick.

  • Another thing to consider for the Islanders might have been the status of Oliver Wahlstrom, who according to David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period, may not return this season. The 22-year-old Wahlstrom doesn’t play the same position as Horvat, but was one of the team’s more offensively-driven players, and has been out since December. Wahlstrom had seven goals and 16 points in 35 games this year.
  • He’s not the only player who is out for the year. Montreal Canadiens depth defenseman Otto Leskinen has been shut down after hip surgery, ending his season after just 24 games with the Laval Rocket. With Leskinen’s one-year contract up at the end of the year, it might be back to Europe for him moving forward. The 25-year-old played six games for the Canadiens, none of them coming this season.

New York Islanders Place Oliver Wahlstrom, Simon Holmstrom On IR

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New York Islanders wingers Simon Holmstrom and Oliver Wahlstrom have been moved to injured reserve, according to a team tweet Friday morning. Both are out with lower-body injuries, although Wahlstrom is out indefinitely while Holmstrom is day-to-day.

Wahlstrom’s IR placement, which is retroactive to December 27, is a bit different than anticipated. Newsday’s Andrew Gross reported Wednesday that the team believed Wahlstrom had sustained a head injury in their game against the Pittsburgh Penguins the night before. While Wahlstrom still figures to be out of the lineup long-term, it’s not with the head injury that was reported initially.

Meanwhile, Holmstrom could return at any time, given the shorter-term nature of his injury. His IR placement is retroactive to December 23, so his seven-day minimum stay on injured reserve ends today.

Wahlstrom is putting up respectable numbers this season, especially given his paltry usage of 12:10 per game. His 16 points in 35 games are tied for seventh on the team, and he’s easily within striking distance of his career-high 24 points.

The 21-year-old Holmstrom has played in his first 14 NHL games this season after the team drafted him 23rd overall in 2019. He scored his first NHL goal earlier this month against the Vegas Golden Knights and has two points on the season. If other injured Islanders forwards return to the lineup before he does, he could likely be returned to the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders after coming off injured reserve.

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