Is the New York Islanders prospect pool as bad as people say? Who skates with Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat this season? Is there really bad blood between Oliver Wahlstrom and the organization?

We have reached the part of the NHL offseason where nothing is going on. That doesn't mean the content stops, as this week, I'll be giving my input on your questions and comments, diving into much more detail than usual mailbags. 

Let's kick things off by discussing the Islanders' prospect pool. 

What's your honest opinion about the Isles prospect pool? (@Angela02937360)

We, as sports fans, love the predicting conversations. Whether it's guessing where a team will finish standing-wise or what player will accomplish this and that, it brings about good discussions and arguments, especially in the offseason. 

One area of hockey, and all sports, that many pay attention to as each league becomes younger and younger is the prospect pool. 

Who is going to be the next star?

Who is going to be a bust?

When writers and analysts dive into the Islanders' prospect pool, their consensus puts them at the bottom of the league. And that's not to say that there's no gripe there, as since 2013, the Islanders have selected eight times in the first round, with four starters (Pulock, Barzal, Beauvillier, Dobson) and four players still trying/failed to figure things out (Wahlstrom, Holmstrom, Bellows, Dal Colle).

It's hard to boost a prospect pool when a team doesn't have first-round picks, as the Islanders have not selected in the first round at four straight drafts, with just two first-round selections in the last seven years. 

Grading a prospect pool is so interesting because a team like the Islanders might not have a star waiting in the wings, but that doesn't mean there aren't players on the cusp of being ready to lead the way for a new generation of Islander hockey. 

I don't think Simon Holmstrom (23rd overall in 2019) will be a top-six player in the NHL, but I do believe he can play that defensive, Zach Parise'esque style. If he can add a tad more offense to his game, in terms of creation, not necessarily goals (although he did show off a wicked release against the Carolina Hurricanes when he did his best Auston Matthews impression), he can become that strong third-line forward. 

But the Islanders need top-six help! 

Hypothetically speaking, if Oliver Wahlstrom turned into the player the organization believed he would be and finds a home with Mat Barzal and Bo Horvat, the Islanders would have a strong top line for years.

The second line should already be strong for the next few, especially if Pierre Engvall, Brock Nelson, and Kyle Palmieri have something special brewing. That would impact the need, or lack thereof, for top-six players to be ready to go right now. 

I do think Matthew Maggio (142nd in 2022) has the potential to be a top-six forward. We need to see what he can do in a full season in the AHL, the second-hardest league in the world. 

If Ruslan Iskhakov (43rd in 2018) gets a chance and can show his size isn't a remarkable issue, he can be a middle-six player.

William Dufour's (152nd in 2020) future rides on his skating ability and how much he can improve upon that over the next few years. He has sniper stuff and is a big body, but if he can't keep up with the NHL game, he will be another bottom-six forward for New York.

Again, it's not an issue if it's a team need, but if Wahlstrom isn't the guy, the Islanders will hope Dufour can become that. 

On the backend, I'm excited to see what Isaiah George (98th overall in 2022) can do. He's got one more year left of juniors but has all the tools you want in a top-six defenseman. 

Just how high is George's ceiling? Well, that will depend on how much offense he can add to his game. 

He is a left-shot defenseman, which doesn't help the Islanders right-side depth deficiency. 

However, with Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock, and Mayfield locked up long-term and the likelihood that both Alexander Romanov and Noah Dobson follow suit, there may be only one opening for a prospect (LHD) year in and year out, and that's if Samuel Bolduc doesn't win that job and keep it for the foreseeable future. 

What hurts the Islanders prospect pool is that it's missing that true top-line forward. 

And right now, that's such a significant need, especially for a franchise that has shown an inability to bring in first-liners during the free agency period. 

Who plays with Barzal and Horvat on opening night? @FourYearDynasty)

This question has been asked rather often, and I will continue to stick with the same answer: Anders Lee.

Yes, Lee struggled mightily in the playoffs, but so did Horvat and a handful of others. 

While Wahlstrom could be the answer on the top line, he has yet to show that he can play alongside Barzal. There was little offensive magic when the two played together for 30 games before Wahlstrom's season-ending injury. 

A knee injury is different for each person, and Wahlstrom being younger may do wonders for how fast he can get back into game form. After suffering the injury and not playing in an NHL game for what will be nine-plus months, not sure it's in the Islanders best interest to throw him up on the top line. 

And that decision also depends on what side Barzal plays on. If No. 13 rather be a right winger, having Wahlstrom, who finally learned how to play a 200-foot game, switch to his off-side would be way too complicated. 

Now, if the Islanders are set on Wahlstrom playing on the top line, it would make more sense to move Barzal to his off-wing, something I think Barzal is more than capable of doing and, quite frankly, would benefit him. 

The best thing for Wahlstrom would be to start him alongside a familiar linemate in Jean-Gabriel Pageau, get games under his belt, find a scoring touch, and go from there. 

With Wahlstrom signing a one-year prove-it deal, taking his qualifying offer rather than negotiating for over $1 million, at least, which I think he could have got, this year is make-or-break. Wahlstrom will get a chance in the top six at some point, but again, he will have to earn it. 

Is there anything to the idea that the relationship between Wahlstrom and the Islanders is frayed? The fact that he took such a low one-year deal is odd. @isles787

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman shared on an episode of '32 Thoughts' that he heard Wahlstrom had requested a trade. However, he said that he debunked the rumor, but it did start spreading that Wahlstrom wanted out.

It's easy to think why.

As much as Wahlstrom admitted to needing tough love sometime after former head coach Barry Trotz gave it to him good during the 2021-22 season, there was probably a slight disconnect between the two. Under Lane Lambert this past season, Wahlstrom did get more of a chance to show himself and was on a path to setting career highs across the board. 

What likely disallowed Wahlstrom and his camp from declining his qualifying offer and heading to the negotiation table this summer was the injury and lack of overall success since Wahlstrom made his NHL debut during the 2019-20 campaign. 

If Wahlstrom stays healthy and plays out the rest of the season, he likely cashes in at over $1 million annually on a multi-year deal because he was on pace to set career highs across the board. 

Accepting his qualifying offer after that would have been a hard sell. 

Wahlstrom is a rather competitive guy, and I expect him to come into camp ready for a career season.

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