Oliver Wahlstrom is currently in the second year of his three-year entry level contract with the New York Islanders. In 2023, the then 23-year-old will become a restricted free agent (RFA). While RFA’s typically re-sign with their current team, it is possible that they could become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) and sign with a different organization if they do not receive a qualifying offer from their current team. They could also sign an offer sheet with another team.

Wahlstrom has been an asset for the Islanders the past two seasons, so it is likely he would receive a qualifying offer from the team. If this were to happen, Wahlstrom would have the option to sign the contract or deny it. However, if he were to deny it, he would remain an RFA and would have until Dec. 1 to sign with the Islanders in order to play that season.

Wahlstrom is an extremely talented player. However, that talent is often overlooked by the Islanders’ coaching staff. So, it begs the question, when Wahlstrom’s contract is up next year, will he want to remain with the Islanders and will the Islanders want to re-sign him?

An Offensive Weapon

In 36 games, Wahlstrom has been one of the best forwards on the Islanders. He has scored 10 goals, tied with Mathew Barzal for the third most on the team. Five of those goals came on the power-play, giving Wahlstrom the most power-play goals on the Islanders. He also leads the team in shots on goal with 97, despite having an average ice-time of 13:21, one of the lowest on team. 

Stuck on the Third Line

Nearly every winger has had the opportunity to play alongside Barzal and Anders Lee for multiple games this season to see if they were the missing piece on the Islanders’ first line. Yet, the only time Wahlstrom was given a shot on the top line was on Dec. 16, when Barzal was out on COVID protocol. Otherwise, he has remained on the third line with limited playing time. 

With the Islanders’ disappointing record this season (16-17-6), fans are practically begging Barry Trotz to play Wahlstrom on the first line. He has an insane shot which would pair well with Barzal’s playmaking ability. Wahlstrom also gets pucks to the net, which is exactly what Lee is looking for when he stands in front of the net ready to deflect them in. Not to mention, Wahlstrom is fast enough to keep up with Barzal, something some wingers struggle with. 

Trotz has said in multiple interviews that he wants Wahlstrom to develop his 200-foot game and be more aware of his surroundings before he grants him more ice time. However, there are other players who are performing worse than Wahlstrom but being rewarded by playing on the first line.  

Unappreciated Talent

On Jan. 18, the Islanders played a neck-and-neck game against the Philadelphia Flyers. The game was tied 3-3 and had to be decided in a shootout. It took 18 players total for the shootout to end. Each team sent out nine people and only one person scored— Oliver Wahlstrom. 

Wahlstrom being the ninth shooter caused an outrage among fans. He is one of the Islanders’ best goal scorers, yet players with two goals or less at the time were elected to go out before him. 

After the game, Trotz was asked about his thought process for sending Wahlstrom out as the ninth shooter. 

“We gave him the ball to run with it and he sort of fumbled it his first three times,” Trotz said. “He didn’t really come that close. So we pulled him back and we were playing the odds a little bit.” 

It was interesting to hear Trotz comment on Wahlstrom not scoring in any other shootouts because prior to that game, nobody had scored in a shootout for the Islanders this season. 

Benched 

On Jan. 21, the Islanders shutout the Arizona Coyotes 4-0. Despite the victory, Wahlstrom was benched during the third period and only played for 8:08 the entire game. He was then scratched the next day for the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Islanders ended up losing to Toronto 3-1.

All-Star Potential 

Wahlstrom has all the elements to be an amazing hockey player. He is fast, has a great shot, plays a physical game and is an asset on the power-play. He has the potential to be a first-line winger but the questions is: “when?” Wahlstrom may never see the first line under Trotz. But if he were to play for a different organization, I am certain he would be getting more playing time.

The only significant difference between Wahlstrom and Barzal’s statistics this year is their ice time. The two have put up a similar amount of points and shots yet Barzal averages five minutes more of playing time than Wahlstrom. 

Success Elsewhere

As a big Oliver Wahlstrom fan, I want to see him succeed; I just don’t know if the New York Islanders is the right organization for him to do so. Being constantly limited in playing time and playing with linemates who are below his skill level will only make Wahlstrom want to leave the Islanders. 

I would not be surprised if Wahlstrom is looking to go to a different team when his contract with the Islanders ends next year. 

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.