Watching Mason Jobst play in two overtime games this preseason was a sight to behold.  In a game against Philadelphia, the undrafted forward from Ohio State stole the puck, skated out of the defensive zone, then passed to Anders Lee who stunned goalie J-F Berube with a hard shot up high.  The rebound fell right next to the helpless goaltender who couldn’t locate the puck, and Jobst, who raced to the front of the net, found the puck first and deposited the game winner.  He was too busy celebrating in the locker room to come speak to Shannon Hogan after the game.

A week later, he did it again.  The Isles put on an overtime clinic against the Red Wings, and when it was Jobst’s turn to play, he didn’t disappoint.  He won a deep faceoff forward to himself, testing Jimmy Howard with a great shot.  He got his own rebound, kept the play alive, and sent a cross-ice feed to Anders Lee for the game-winning goal.
Still, even though it was likely expected, he was sent to Bridgeport on Wednesday.
Another player who got sent down early was center Otto Koivula.  Having scored the second most goals and points for the Sound Tigers last season, some were expecting him to be one of the last players cut or to even make the team.
It’s not as if he didn’t impress.  He scored on a great play last Saturday night in New Jersey.  On a two-on-one, he was able to wait out a defender, then send a shot high on the near side, beating Corey Schneider and tying the game for the third time.  Clearly that was not enough to impress coach Barry Trotz.

Now with the roster down to forty players, young players like Noah Dobson and Oliver Wahlstrom need to continue to play hard if they want to make the team.
“You saw it crank up a little bit in their battle levels,” Trotz said on Thursday after practice.  “Even though they’re teammates, they’re starting to get ready for the season.”
Nonetheless, Trotz is impressed with his two young stars.
“Dobson is a bright player, he’s smart,” Trotz said.
Wahlstrom also received high praise.
“I liked his determination,” Trotz said when describing Oliver Wahlstrom. “I liked the fact that he wasn’t taking the long road.  He was going pretty straightforward and he was trying to use his big body and his capability.  He did pretty well.”

Who makes the team remain to be seen.  But the competition at this year’s camp is intense, and the smallest mistake can cost someone a roster spot.

Ben Baruch

Born and raised on Long Island. Isles fan since 2009. Studying journalism at the University of Maryland, College Park.