It was a season of ups and downs for Otto Koivula. In only his second North American season, Koivula went up and down between the Islanders and Sound Tigers. For Koivula, it was a roller-coaster season for him. Let’s take a look.

The Good:

Koivula saw his first time in the NHL as he suited up in 12 games with the Islanders. In his 36 games played for the Sound Tigers, Koivula had nine goals and 13 assists which is around the same pace for the prior season where he had 46 points in 69 games in his rookie season. Koivula was expected to go up to the Islanders in case of emergency and he did multiple times.

The Bad:

There wasn’t much bad, but Koivula was placed on the fourth line for the Islanders with the loss of Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck later in the season. But Koivula’s season was derailed by a injury down in Bridgeport where he missed 15+ games during the season near the end towards the AHL cancellation.

The Expectations:

This was supposed to be another year to grow his skills and possibly get a chance in the NHL, both of which he did, but a late season injury hurt his growth. It will be interesting to see how next season goes for the Finn, who is heading into his RFA year next season and can be leaned on heavily.

The Moment of the Season:

On Nov. 16, 2019, Otto Koivula made his NHL Debut as the Islanders took on the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center. This was a dream come true for Koivula.

The Verdict:

For Koivula, his time on the Island wasn’t long and wasn’t noticeable, and it is not really his fault. He was put into a tough position where he wasn’t leaned on much. He was able to fill in where needed and brought a physical presence to the team.

Final Grade: 86/B

Christian Gardecki

A Native of Danbury, CT. Christian is one of the longest tenured Drive4Five writers, Christian Gardecki began writing for Drive4five In May of 2017. Christian covers Minor League Hockey and the Bridgeport Islanders for Drive4Five. Outside of Drive4Five, Christian was the captain of his High School Hockey team and currently attends Hofstra University with a major in journalism. Christian was the play by play broadcaster for the Danbury Westerners summer collegiate baseball team during their 2021 NECBL Championship. Christian also was the Public Address Announcer for the Danbury Hat Tricks Minor Pro Hockey team in the Federal Prospects Hockey League and NAHL Junior team from 2019-21.