A superstar duo New York Islanders’ head coach Barry Trotz once coached was Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals. If Trotz decides to unite Mathew Barzal and Oliver Wahlstrom on the top-line, the legendary duo of Backstrom and Ovechkin can be somewhat replicated on Long Island.

Ovechkin is arguably the greatest goal-scorer in NHL history and is on his way to passing Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record. By the time Ovechkin retires from the NHL, he will most likely have solidified himself as the best goal scorer hockey has ever seen.

Backstrom has centered Ovechkin almost his whole career and is one of the best passers and playmakers in NHL history. It is only fitting that the best goal scorer in the NHL has one of the best passers in NHL history by his side. They’ve dominated the NHL, scoring at rates likely to never be copied again. Ovechkin has 752 career goals, and Backstrom has 723 career assists.

Of Ovechkin’s 752 career goals, Niklas Backstrom has assisted on 267 of them, good for over 35 percent. And, the number would most likely be higher if not for Backstrom’s injury this season. Ovechkin has 22 goals this season, and Backstrom has only played one game. In that one game, he assisted on one of Ovechkin’s goals.

Before the 2021-22 NHL season, the Washington Post found that the Capitals totaled 3,387 goals since Backstrom’s rookie year. Either Backstrom or Ovechkin has scored 936 of them — or 27.6 percent. That means the duo accounted for more than a quarter of the team’s goals in a 14-year span.

To summarize their dominance, in the decade of the 2010s, Ovechkin led the NHL with 437 goals, and Backstrom led the NHL with 511 assists.

Over the years, the Capitals have become one of the biggest offensive juggernauts in the NHL due to Ovechkin’s lethal goal-scoring abilities and Backstrom’s incredible passing abilities. The team has dominated the regular season, clinching the President’s Trophy in 2010, 2016, and 2017, as well as second place in the NHL in 2011. They won the Stanley Cup in 2018, defeating the Vegas Golden Knights in five games.

Enter Oliver Wahlstrom

With the 11th pick of the 2018 NHL draft, the Islanders selected Wahlstrom from the U.S. National Development Program. Wahlstrom was deemed the best goal scorer in the draft, and people drew parallels between him, Patrik Laine and Ovechkin.

“I can’t really model myself after him. He’s a different breed,” Wahlstrom said of Ovechkin before the 2018 NHL Draft. “I think me and Patrik Laine are a little similar — how we shoot, things like that. My favorite players are Laine and Ovechkin.”

Scouts praised Wahlstrom for his goal-scoring abilities before the Draft, and he has had a tremendous impact on the Islanders’ lineup thus far in his career.

During the 2021 shortened season, his first full NHL season, Wahlstrom took an enormous jump for the Islanders. Wahlstrom played in 44 games, scoring 12 goals and registering 21 points. Four of Wahlstrom’s 12 goals came on the power-play, and his presence there was a tremendous boost to the Islanders.

At only 21 years of age, Wahlstrom has continued to dominate this season. In 26 games, Wahlstrom has eight goals and 15 points, including four power-play goals. Wahlstrom is second on the team in overall scoring as well, while playing just over 13 minutes a night.

With Wahlstrom’s pure goal-scoring abilities, uniting him with an elusive player maker like Barzal could be special in the Islanders’ lineup. Barzal can certainly score goals and snipe the puck better than most players.

However, Barzal also possesses masterful skating and stick-handling abilities, allowing him to create time and space on the ice. Through 312 career games, Barzal has 188 assists, almost 0.6 assists per game. Barzal is one of the best playmakers in the NHL today. His speed and hockey IQ, combined with his raw skill, make him one of the most talented players in the NHL.

If Trotz united Barzal and Wahlstrom in the lineup together, perhaps the Islanders can strike gold.

Ethan Halle

Ethan is an Economics Major at the University of Florida looking to pursue a double major in Sports Management with a minor in political science.