Islanders’ rookie Oliver Wahlstrom had a breakout year in the 2020-21 NHL season. He was one of the Isles’ best forwards and quickly became a fan favorite. However, Wahlstrom did not meet head coach Barry Trotz’s expectations throughout the whole season.

Wahlstrom went through a slump towards the end of the year, so Trotz sat him for a few games. Trotz’s dissatisfaction continued into the 2021-22 NHL preseason. Now, many Islanders fans are worried as to whether or not Oliver Wahlstrom will be an everyday player for the Islanders. 

2020-21 Season

Wahlstrom played in 44 of the 56 regular season games. He finished the season with 12 goals and nine assists. Wahlstrom was a huge asset for the Islanders when he was on his game. He is an elite goal-scorer and a threat on the power-play. Of his 21 points, 10 were power-play points including four power-play goals. 

Despite his stellar stats for an NHL rookie, Trotz still had him on a very tight leash. If Wahlstrom was not putting in 110% effort in practice or making costly mistakes in games, Trotz would bench him for the next few games and play a veteran instead.

Wahlstrom did not get much playoff experience this year. In the sixth game of Round One, Wahlstrom got injured. He could not finish the game and missed the entire Second Round against the Boston Bruins. Wahlstrom was finally cleared to play for Game 1 in the Third Round. However, Trotz opted to not play him. Islander fans speculated whether or not this was a precautionary measure with Wahlstrom’s injury or if it had to do with Trotz not trusting him. 

2021-22 Preseason

On Sept. 25, Trotz said that Wahlstrom and Kyle Palmieri were the two forwards he was looking at to fill the open spot on the first line. However, Trotz said Palmieri was going to get the first crack at the opportunity. This gave Isles fans hope that they would finally see Wahlstrom playing on the top line where they feel he belongs. 

But, nearly a week later, when Trotz was asked about Wahlstrom’s maturity and improvements, his answer crushed some of that hope.

“He knows he hasn’t had the greatest of camps”, Trotz said. However, the head coach did compliment Wahlstrom’s self-recognition and said it was better than last year.  

2021-22 Regular Season

Wahlstrom is projected to play in the Islanders’ first game of the 2021-22 NHL season alongside Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Zach Parise. It is evident that Trotz wants to see Wahlstrom succeed. However, he will not hesitate to sit Wahlstrom for a few games if he is not producing in games or at practice. Wahlstrom will have to continue to put in the maximum effort and grow as a player in order to maintain a spot in the Islanders’ lineup. 

Maisy Healy

I am a huge Islanders fan and love spreading my passion for the team here at Drive4Five.  Along with writing, I also co-manage the Drive4Five TikTok and Facebook accounts.