Report: NY Islanders extend qualifying offers to two RFAs; three non-tendered

Per a report on Twitter from Andrew Gross, beat reporter for Newsday, the New York Islanders have extended qualifying offers to RFAs Oliver Wahlstrom and goaltender Jakub Skarek. Defenseman and former second-round pick Bode Wilde was non-tendered, along with forwards Blade Jenkins and Colin Adams. After not receiving qualifying offers, all four become unrestricted free agents.

As confirmed by Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, defensemen Parker Wotherspoon, who made his NHL debut last season, was a Group 6 UFA and was not eligible for a qualifying offer.

Wahlstrom, 23, had seven goals and nine assists in 35 games before injuring his knee in December and missing the remainder of the season. He is expected to be fully recovered and ready for a training camp in what will be a pivotal season for the sniper.

Meanwhile, Skarek, a 3rd round pick in 2018, struggled in his third AHL season in Bridgeport. He registered a 15-16-3 record in 38 games, with a 3.37 GAA and 0.892 save percentage. With the news earlier this week that Cory Schneider is expected to play in Europe, Skarek and Tristan Lennox are expected to be the duo between the pipes for Bridgeport this season.

The fall of Wilde, from a promising second-round steal to being a castaway prospect, was fast. The 41st pick in the 2018 draft refused to be vaccinated before training camp in 2021 and, as a result, was loaned to Västerviks IK of the Swedish HockeyAllsvenskan. Last season, Wilde was buried on the Atlanta Gladiators of ECHL, collecting only 14 points.

2018 5th-rounder Jenkins had one goal, and two assists in 26 games with Bridgeport last season. Adams, a 2016 6th-round pick, split time between the ECHL and AHL last season, scoring 32 points (14G, 18A) with Worcester Railers in 30 games and three goals and four assists in 20 AHL games in Bridgeport.

Wotherspoon had been with the Islanders organization since being selected in the 4th round of the 2015 NHL Draft and finally made his NHL debut during the 2022-23 season. In 12 games, he picked up one assist and averaged 13:20 TOI. The highlight of his season was getting the start in his hometown of Vancouver during the team's Western Canada road trip. "The first game was a heart beating out of the chest, said Wotherspoon. "But I’ll be excited to go out there and be in the hometown. It’ll feel great. I’ll definitely be nervous, though.”