New York Islanders: Oliver Wahlstrom Impresses In Debut

The New York Islanders were in a pinch and called up Oliver Wahlstrom. In his first NHL game, he looked like he belonged.

Yesterday morning, the New York Islanders sent Casey Cizikas to the IR and we found out that Jordan Eberle is day-to-day. As a result, the Isles decided to call up 19-year-old Oliver Wahlstrom. In his first career NHL game, he looked rather solid.

He started out on the third line, with Josh Bailey and Derrick Brassard but by the end of the game, he was taking shifts with Mathew Barzal and Anders Lee.

He finished with 15:13 of ice time, two shots on goal, and a hit. While it might not look like much, he was buzzing around the puck and looked like he belonged in an NHL top six at just 19 years old, a welcomed sign for the Islanders.

After the game, Barry Trotz had some kind words saying he “didn’t look out of place at all.” If he continues to play the way that he did yesterday, it’s going to be very difficult to send him back down to the AHL.

With the Isles lacking that scoring touch, he might just be able to play his way onto the roster, similar to what Devon Toews did last year. A healthy lineup with Wahlstrom doesn’t look so bad:

Lee – Barzal – Eberle

Bailey – Nelson – Wahlstrom

Beauvillier – Brassard – Komarov

Martin – Cizikas – Clutterbuck

He was much more visible through one game than Michael Dal Colle has been this year. The best players should play, and Oliver Wahlstrom is one of the best 12 forwards the Islanders have.

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