Islanders: Josh Ho-Sang stays in Sweden joins SHL side Linkoping

After Josh Ho-Sang’s loan with Orebro was terminated earlier this week, we weren’t sure if the New York Islanders first-round pick in 2014 would stay in Sweden or make the trip back across the Atlantic to join Bridgeport.

If you’ve been following the Ho-Sang saga close enough you’d know that the latter option wasn’t much of an option. It was unlikely that Ho-Sang would return to North America. So it’s no surprise that he was able to secure a loan with another Swedish side.

On Sunday, Linkoping HC officially announced that Ho-Sang had joined the club until the end of the season.

New York Islanders Josh Ho-Sang gets another loan in SHL

Linkoping currently sits just above the bottom of the SHL. With an 11-23-4-2 record (and 43 points), the Southen Swedish side is in 13th spot in the 14 team league.  Putting them in one of the two relegation positions.

With 101 goals-for they have the second-worst offensive record in the league. Only Malmo is worse with 85 goals-for. Malmo is also the only other team below Linkoping in the standings.

While Linkoping is fighting for their SHL lives, they aren’t completely out of the picture yet. With 43 points they’re only two points out of the 10th spot (the last playoff spot). With a flurry of games coming up – they play three games over the next five nights – they could, if things go well, jump out of the relegation zone and into a playoff spot.

Clearly, they feel, Josh Ho-Sang can help them do that.

We’ll see if that happens. Having Orebro terminate the loan just five games in wasn’t a positive development for Josh Ho-Sang’s chances at returning to the NHL ASAP. If this loan assignment doesn’t go well it will be yet another knock on the former first-rounder that will likely keep him out of the NHL.