On Wednesday night, New York Islanders forward Oliver Wahlstrom gets set to play the team that ended his 2022-23 campaign, the Pittsburgh Penguins.
On Wednesday night, New York Islanders forward Oliver Wahlstrom gets set to play the team that ended his 2022-23 campaign, the Pittsburgh Penguins.
EAST MEADOW, NY -- On Wednesday night, New York Islanders forward Oliver Wahlstrom gets set to play the team that ended his 2022-23 campaign, the Pittsburgh Penguins.
It was a year ago to the day that Wahlstrom suffered a torn ACL after finishing a hit on Penguins defenseman P.O. Joseph in a 5-1 win, ending his season.
Despite the mental and physical grind it took for the 23-year-old to get back to full strength, Wahlstrom isn't even thinking about the injury anymore.
"I'm past that stuff. I mean, I've already passed the hard stuff," Wahlstrom said Wednesday morning. "I don't even think about it at all anymore."
After sitting for eight straight games, Wahlstrom returned in the lineup last Wednesday against the Washington Capitals in place of an injured Julien Gauthier.
Before puck drop against Washington, Lambert was asked if he's still factoring in Wahlstrom's injury to his evaluation of the young forward.
"No, not anymore, but it took him a while to get going right from the very beginning," Lambert said. "So, it all kind of factors into it in the big scheme of things, but he's past that injury. It's almost a year."
In 11:39 minutes of game action, Wahlstrom played solid, with a shot on goal and a hit.
"I thought he went up and down, and I thought that he tried to do what he's supposed to do," Lambert said. He added that Wahlstrom made a couple of solid plays along the boards to create scoring chances.
Despite the praise, Gauthier returned to the lineup against the Carolina Hurricanes Saturday night, the last game before the Christmas break, as Wahlstrom found himself as an extra once again.
"It's tough at times, for sure," Wahlstrom said. "It's about getting shots on goal and trying to help the team win as much as I can with whatever chance I get out of it. So that's the mindset."
That's what Lambert is looking for.
"We're just looking for him to go up and down again, as I say, and contribute offensively and be responsible defensively," Lambert said if Wahlstrom does, in fact, draw in against Pittsburgh.
Through 18 games this season, Wahlstrom has two goals and three assists, with a total of 24 shots on goal.
"You can't just take any shot if it's not a decent shot," Lambert said. "But certainly, we would like to see him get more shots."
Lambert was in a similar position to Wahlstrom throughout his six-year playing career, and the two have talked about it.
"We talked a little bit," Wahlstrom said. "It's a good spot, It's a good learning experience for sure. "It's a grind sometimes, man. You gotta show up every day, and it's been good. It's healthy, for sure. I'm excited to be back in."
While Lambert and Wahlstrom are no longer focused on the injury, it played a vital role in where Wahlstrom sits today.
Although the young forward hadn't yet proved to be a top-six player in his 35 games before the injury, he was well on his way to a career season with seven goals and nine assists.
More importantly, he had shown more of an understanding of how important a two-way game was, something he struggled to grasp under former head coach Barry Trotz.
Come the end of the 2022-23 season, Wahlstrom, a restricted free agent, had no leverage in contract negotiations.
Given his injury and inability to post career marks, Wahlstrom signed his qualifying offer, a one-year deal worth $874,125.
"I kind of knew what I was gonna get," Wahlstrom told The Hockey News on being given just one year. "There's some things you'd like, but at the end of the day, I missed half a year, and you got to look at it from both sides.
"I was hurt all year, and it's good for me to get moving again and play some games, so I knew what I was going to get, and I just moved from there. I can't really look into it."
This summer, the Islanders added more depth, re-signing Hudson Fasching to a two-year deal, along with Gauthier.
Although Wahlstrom was 100 percent healthy to start the year, he found himself battling with those two for the 13th forward position, ultimately losing out as he struggled to catch up to game speed.
Fasching and Gauthier, when given the opportunity, took advantage of their minutes and became everyday players as the Islanders continued to collect points.
That hasn't helped Wahlstrom's case for more minutes, as he is currently riding a personal five-game pointless streak.
There's no telling if Wahlstrom would have been an everyday player had he not suffered the major knee injury a year ago.
Could he have earned a multi-year commitment from the Islanders?
Could he have been a starting player for New York to start the season rather than being behind the eightball from the get-go?
It's a game of what-ifs, but in reality, Wahlstrom is on the outside looking in because of his play when in the lineup this year.
But drawing back into the lineup when Gauthier is healthy shows that the Islanders aren't giving up on the 23-year-old just yet.
"He's worked his tail off to get back. It's really up to him to do the things he's capable of doing," Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello said Saturday to Ethan Sears of The New York Post.
Wahlstrom's time on the island could be limited, given the roster moves that will need to be made when the injured defensemen get healthy and if Zach Parise comes aboard at some point.
So, anytime he hears his name called, like Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Wahlstrom's fighting to prove to the Islanders that he can be a difference-maker.
The injury is no longer an excuse, and the Islanders and Wahlstrom seem to be on the same page.
You can watch Rosner talk Islanders hockey on Hockey Night in New York with co-host Sean Cuthbert live Sunday nights at 8 PM ET during the season at twitch.tv/hockeynightny.