New York Islanders: Youth Options For Second Line (Poll)

The New York Islanders don’t appear to be making any more moves. Assuming this is the roster, which youth member would you like to see play?

To say the offseason hasn’t gone as we’ve expected would be a huge understatement. After missing out on Artemi Panarin the New York Islanders have been pretty silent, and if anything, moved laterally instead of improving.

There still seems to be a hole on the second line but assuming this is the crop of guys the Isles are heading into camp with there has to be a best choice of the bunch.

On Twitter, I served out this question to see what the general pulse of Islanders fans was on the top-six situation:

The goal was to see who would make the most sense out of the youth that could thrive in that role. We got a variety of different answers so I’ll go through and pick out some of my favorite answers and give some commentary on each option.

This was my favorite response because Ryan (like me) wants to blast Leo Komarov to the sun. Ideally, Bailey is on the third line on a team looking to win a championship. I just don’t think the Islanders are quite there yet. Maybe when Bellows and Wahlstrom are more established in a couple of years he gets bumped down for the last couple of years of his contract.

Beauvillier – Nelson – Ho-Sang as a line I think has some potential. Ho-Sang has had success with both of those guys in small sample sizes.

Oliver Wahlstrom does have the highest ceiling of all the guys I listed as options. He really struggled at Boston College but with Bridgeport down the stretch looked really solid. We know he’s worked extra hard to get in shape so could he make the team?

If he has a monster camp I think he has a shot, but it’s going to take a very productive preseason in September. He won’t be able to get by just by looking the part, he will have to produce big numbers too.

A second line of Bailey – Nelson – Wahlstrom could work if that’s the case.

That’s a good point from Jeff. If Barry Trotz was able to get Alex Ovechkin to play some semblance of defense than he should be able to get JHS to do the same thing. They don’t need Ho-Sang trying for a Selke by years end, he just has to be semi-competent defensively in order for it to work, especially if he is with Bailey and Brock.

This has to be a troll move no? One, the spelling is completely butchered and two there’s no way he is a sustainable option on the top-six. If Kuhnhackl is on your fourth line or the 13th forward he’s perfect, but anything more than that is a risk I’m not willing to take. This team needs more firepower.

My Take

I think the wise choice would be Josh Ho-Sang. He has the most experience in a top-six role over any of the guys I listed as options and he has proved to make others around him better.

Yes, the JHS saga has been messy on both sides but the Isles are essentially all out of options. Michael Dal Colle is a third liner, we still have no idea what Anthony Beauvillier is and Oliver Wahlstrom and Kieffer Bellows could use another year in the AHL.

Of the options currently available to the Islanders Ho-Sang is the choice. It’s just up to the Islanders to swallow their pride and realize that.