Oliver Wahlstrom Already Showing He Is A Star
The Islanders have had an interesting season so far. They started with two difficult losses in Raleigh and Sunrise, but earned a crucial win in Chicago to get things back on track. This victory showed Islanders’ fans something: Oliver Wahlstrom is looking like a star.
Wahlstrom tallied two goals and eight shots in a 4-1 win over the Blackhawks Tuesday evening. Playing alongside Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Zach Parise, he showcased his elite shot, proving why he is one of the most important players on the Islanders. Not only that, the Maine native was a +3 – he also nearly got an assist on the team’s first goal – and impressed defensively, too.
It is pivotal that Wahlstrom develops into a two-way forward. Islanders’ head coach Barry Trotz is very hard on young players – he said the 21-year-old hadn’t had the “greatest of camps to this point” before the season began. Wahlstrom needs to force Trotz to keep him in the lineup, and so far this year, he has done just that.
“The key for [Wahlstrom] where he made big strides last year was moving the feet and participating in the game, rather than watching the game,” Trotz said. “That’s probably the self-awareness. We’ve had these talks and discussions. I could go to [Wahlstrom] after his last game and [ask], ‘how’d you play?’ He’d go, ‘not very well.’ He would recognize it, where I would ask that same question last year and he went, ‘well I thought it was pretty good.’ There’s a better self-recognition and I think he’s taken care of himself and trained differently in the summer. He’s converting over into a complete [professional].”
Coming into the 2021-22 NHL season, the Islanders had a few changes. Perhaps the biggest one was the loss of forward Jordan Eberle, who was chosen by the Seattle Kraken in the Expansion Draft. It left a hole on offense – one Kyle Palmieri was expected to fill on the top line. But if Wahlstrom – who already has three goals in three games this year – can step up and provide scoring too, it will take a lot of pressure of Palmieri.
And it will also allow the Islanders to live up to their expectations and push for a Stanley Cup this season. Because if Wahlstrom keeps it up, the chances the Islanders win it all will go up as well.
