Islanders Wahlstrom on Rehab Process: 'I'm Not Taking This Game For Granted Anymore'

Following day three of training camp, New York Islanders forward Oliver Wahlstrom sat down for an exclusive interview with The Hockey News to discuss the rehab process.

EAST MEADOW, NY -- The 2022-23 season was shaping up to be a breakout year for New York Islanders forward Oliver Wahlstrom. Through 34 games, the then 22-year-old had seven goals with nine assists, showcasing the strongest two-way game of his career.

But on Dec. 27 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Wahlstrom's season came to an end.

On his first shift (24 seconds), Wahlstrom delivered a big blow to Penguins' defenseman Chad Ruhwedel, getting the worst of it:

Wahlstrom took advantage of being on the shelf. 

"It was probably the best eight months I've ever had in my life," Wahlstrom said. "I got more bounce in my step. I'm stronger. I got time to work on muscles I don't normally work on, and also, too, [it was] an unbelievable reset for me.

"I've built my confidence up through this injury. I think going through this injury was extremely, extremely healthy for me. I had to take care of my body, I had to do the right things off the ice, and honestly, I have found a little confidence in this injury. I've never been this excited to start the season before in my career."

Following day three of training camp, Wahlstrom sat down for an exclusive interview with The Hockey News to discuss the rehab process. 

"Four days after surgery, I was back in the rehab room," Wahlstrom told The Hockey News. "And I worked with a guy named Tim Mertle, a professional PT on Stewart Ave, and I pretty much just did PT every single day.

"Took Sundays off. It's pretty nice, honestly, because I worked on a bunch of stuff that you normally don't work on every single day."

Four days after surgery, Wahlstrom was moving around doing exercises?

Not exactly. 

"Light massage on the calf, the quad. A tiny bit of bending," Wahlstrom said regarding week one of rehab. "Week two was sitting down on a little bike and trying to get mobility, trying to get a couple of degrees more each day."

The process was painfully slow, and although Wahlstrom knew he'd make a full recovery, it didn't make getting back to full strength any easier. 

"It's really a slow process. Obviously, there were some tough weeks," Wahlstrom said. "I really had to thank my sister, though. She came down and helped me, and my girlfriend was a huge support as well. 

"They were a huge support for me, and yeah, there were some tough weeks for sure, but it definitely made me stronger."

For fans, watching hockey is incredibly fun. But if you are a player, being forced to watch from the sideline is not something one enjoys doing. 

"It's not fun at all. Yeah, obviously, you want to be with the boys and play with the boys," Wahlstrom said. "There were some dark moments, man.

"You're 23 years old, and you're living out your dream, and you know you almost have a half-year, full year to recover, so it was really tough. But I have a lot of good people around me, and you know, I turned my mindset all the way around after months one and two."

All Wahlstrom could do was find the positives as he watched many games from the UBS Arena and road press boxes. 

"Sometimes you sit above the ice, and you see a lot," Wahlstrom said. "You see everything, you see plays, and like I've been saying before, to me being out for half a year -- it sounds weird -- but it was really good for me."

Wahlstrom has always played with an edge with confidence, and that won't change because of the injury. But he does have a new mindset. 

"I'm not taking this game for granted anymore. I'm not going to be too hard on myself. I'm just going to have fun and play because I realized when you take this game away from me, it's tough. My mind is completely clear this year, and I'm super excited to get my game back."