Islanders prospects daily: Otto Koivula was a healthy scratch

Prospects (and players in the system) in Action Today

• Josh Ho-Sang (Linkoping)
• Robin Salo (Orebro)

I know there might be some Josh Ho-Sang fatigue going on out there, and I get it, but with a one-year contract with the Isles, I’m still going to follow him around. This is likely the last year though, once this deal expires, Josh can become a group-six UFA and go his own way. Both sides needed this to happen last year.

We’ll see if Ho-Sang is back in the lineup today for Linkoping. I imagine he will. The message should be quite clear to him by now. Linkoping may no longer be in the SHL’s relegation zone right now, but they aren’t out of the woods just yet so they could use a motivated Josh Ho-Sang to help them stay in the SHL.

With 56 points on the season, Linkoping is seven points above the drop, but the team’s bellow then have four to five games in hand on them, and with wins counting for three points in Sweden, that cushion could evaporate quickly.

Things are quite different for Robin Salo and Orebro. They didn’t play on Monday due to a confirmed COVID infection within the Malmo team, so the break will certainly do Salo and his teammates some good as they march down the stretch and into the playoffs.

Orebro is fifth in the SHL with 78 points from 46 games. They’re five points back of third where a CHL (Championship Hockey League) spot is up for grabs. Orebro would certainly like to have that for the 2021-22 season.