New York Islanders forward Oliver Wahlstrom had to wait exactly nine months to play in an NHL game after sustaining an ACL injury last December. Here's how he felt after Wednesday's preseason game and more!
New York Islanders forward Oliver Wahlstrom had to wait exactly nine months to play in an NHL game after sustaining an ACL injury last December.
It was a long, grinding road back but a beneficial nine months for Wahlstrom, as he focused heavily on building muscle, focusing on his nutrition, and resetting mentally.
As one can expect, Wahlstrom was thrilled to lace the skates up for Wednesday's preseason game.
Alongside Dmytro Timashov and Karson Kuhlman, the 23-year-old forward logged 17:20 in the Islanders' 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.
Although he didn't find the stat sheet outside of a boarding penalty, it was more about Wahlstrom just finding his legs.
"I feel great. It was just so exciting driving back into the tunnel, knowing I'm gonna play a hockey game," Wahlstrom told The Hockey News. "Honestly felt pretty good.
"Legs were pretty good. I was a little tired towards the end, but that's normal. It's preseason. So, just the focus for me is one foot in front of the other, keep going, and keep having some fun with it."
Islanders captain Anders Lee, who suffered an ACL injury in March of 2020, said at his Jam Kancer event that things feel different when you return to the ice, and it takes time to get used to the feel.
Wahlstrom, whose ACL injury came after laying a ferocious hit, didn't hesitate to make a physical impact.
"There's no hesitation at all," Wahlstrom said. "Obviously, with the preseason, I'm gonna get some licks in on people but not a full go because you got to pick the right hits, but, no, I am 100% confident because I put the work in for the 9 to 10 months so I got no problems."
As mentioned, Wahlstrom needs to get back into the swing of things regarding his timing. His boarding penalty on Flyers center Cooper Maroday was certainly questionable but definitely not intentional.
Regardless, the Maine native does have to be careful to not cross a line.
"I thought he was going to drag the puck out, and I was just trying to get my body into him, and I just got him from behind," Wahlstrom said. "So, it happens, but I gotta get into games a little early."
Known for his shot, Wahlstrom is expected to be a needed weapon on the Islanders' power play. While we've seen him in the one-time spot inside the left circle in the past, we saw him in a new location on Wednesday, behind the Flyes net.
"HonestIy loved it," Wahlstrom said. "It was really fun. You see the whole ice, and it opens up a lot of other stuff.
"With my hands in tight, I can always stuff and jam it, or sometimes I can get lost in the backside, so it's fun and exciting."
Wahlstrom continued: "It's a fun spot. You see the ice, and obviously opens up a lot of roll plays down there for Bo [Horvat] or, Barzal. You can work off it, and obviously, love getting some greasy goals. It's fun for me to work on that part of my game, too. So it was fun down there, for sure."
THN asked Islanders head coach Lane Lambert about his thought process with Wahlstrom's power-play position.
"He's a net-front guy. We can use that option down low if we want it," Lambert said. "There's a righty lefty there. So there's a couple of plays that you can run off of that, and I thought we did a pretty good job of that. Bo [Horvat] had a couple of chances."
While we do not know where in the Islanders lineup Wahlstrom will be playing and who his linemates will be, he's looking to add that behind-the-net play to his five-on-five game.
"For me, it's finding those soft spots," Wahlstrom said. "I'm not necessarily too focused on following the puck, but finding the soft spot, finding the dot, finding some outs for the guys that are battling, and things like that.
"That's what I'm going to work on this year. Because I feel like I can score from anywhere, under the dot or by the dot, so I'm just working on that."
Wahlstrom agreed to his qualifying offer this summer, a one-year deal worth $874,125. With a contract like that, it's a prove-it year for Wahlstrom to show that he can be the sniper the organization has longed for.