Difference Between Varlamov & Sorokin New York Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/new-york-islanders-philadelphia-flyers-detroit-red-wings-2024-wild-card-race-stanley-cup-playoffs] forward Oliver Wahlstrom [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/features/oliver-wahlstrom-new-york-islanders-contract-qualifying-offer-injury-free-agency] expected to be 100 percent ready to go after missing the second half of the 2022-23 season due to an ACL injury. But when the 2023-24 season began, the 23-year-old struggled to get back up to game speed, and with the depth options on the roster, Wahlstrom found himself the odd man out. Wahlstrom did get into 22 games in his second season under Lambert, but inconsistencies with his shot and play impacted his ability to stay in a lineup. His shootout goal to beat the Calgary Flames on Nov. 18 snapped the Islanders' seven-game losing streak, which likely played a part in Lambert keeping his job for a bit longer: When Patrick Roy [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/new-york-islanders-patrick-roy-line-combinations-barzal-nelson-horvat] took over on Jan. 20, it offered Wahlstrom and the rest of his teammates an opportunity to make a good first impression. Because Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello wanted to see what Wahlstrom could do with now his third head coach on the island but a new voice for the first time, he waived forward Julien Gauthier a few days before the 2024 NHL All-Star break. Wahlstrom got into the lineup against the Panthers, earning a secondary assist in their 3-2 overtime loss, and went on to play in the next eight games for New York. However, no points and a total of eight shots over those eight games led to Wahlstrom coming out of the lineup after their 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, and we haven't seen him since. On Wednesday, before the Islanders left for Florida, The Hockey News asked Roy what he'd seen from Wahlstrom in practice. "Nothing to complain about with him," Roy said. "I mean, he's practicing well, he's working hard. He's a super nice guy. At this point, guys are ahead of him. And that's all it is. "It's nothing personal. I just go with what I think is the best lineup. And we have a good mix of vets and younger guys. Our guys have been working hard, and this is the competition that we have." On Friday morning, after the Islanders practiced in Tampa, The Hockey News caught up with Wahlstrom to discuss his season, practicing under Roy, and more. Practice time is all that Wahlstrom has at this moment and he said that he's really enjoyed the team skates, especially with the uptick in compete level. "Practices are actually super fun. We're up and down the ice and are battling 1-on-1, competing," Wahlstrom told THN. "I haven't really had that in a while, and it's fun to get the heart rate up and battle and practice every other day, "It's pretty good because he has that junior taste to him, so the practices are fun." Wahlstrom's main focus right now is keeping his conditioning as good as possible, and Roy's practice allows him to do that. The Maine native injured his ACL right before the calendar flipped to 2024, and about 15 months later, Wahlstrom is finally feeling a bit more explosive. "I'm getting pop back in my knee now and getting my conditioning up," Wahlstrom said. "I expected to be 100 percent right away, right out of the gate. So, I gotta learn that injuries take a while. "I'm starting to feel really more explosive now. So, it's been good." Wahlstrom is a pending restricted free agent after signing his one-year qualifying offer worth $874,125 this past summer. During training camp, he told THN that he had no leverage in getting a multi-year deal, which he understood. Wahlstrom will be a pending restricted free agent yet again this upcoming summer, and this time, he is arbitration-eligible. That doesn't guarantee that the Islanders will retain him, and given the lack of playing time and depth options, it isn't a sure thing that he fits the system and structure. "We'll see," Wahlstrom said. "We'll see what happens with summer." It doesn't sound like there's been many contract talks, nor would we know, given the tight-lipped ship that Lamoriello runs. Before we end this story, we just wanted to touch on something Wahlstro did at the Islanders season-ticket event held at UBS Arena last Tuesday. With only kids being allowed to ask questions, a little girl named Lola had something she wanted to say to Wahlstrom; After that group of Islanders left the stage, Wahlstrom made sure to get to the young fan and give her the biggest of hugs: "It's nice. Those events are fun. There's a lot of kids there, and I was once their age too, so, you understand what that feeling is like," Wahlstrom said. "That was a good night." TOP STORIES
