The NY Islanders haven't received much from Oliver Wahlstrom in his extended look

It has been about three weeks since Lou Lamoriello said that the NY Islanders would take a long look at Oliver Wahlstrom, and so far, the 23-year-old hasn't made the best of his opportunity.

On Feb 3, The Islanders placed Julien Gauthier on waivers, allowing Wahlstrom to take ownership of a spot on the third line's wing without much competition.

"We had to make a decision on one player [Gauthier] because of the cap situation," Lamoriello said. "And we're going to give Wahlstrom a good look. Fasching is certainly a versatile player, so we made that decision."

Wahlstrom has appeared in eight games since, failing to find the score sheet or make much of an impact. In those eight games, he's had a 5v5 Corsi for percentage of 41.67 according to Natural Stat Trick, ahead of only Kyle MacLean, Cal Clutterbuck, and Matt Martin.

Never considered a high-quality skater, Wahlstrom's game is built around his shot, which he's failed to unleash. In eight games, he has just eight shots on goal and has been held shotless in three.

Wahlstrom is coming off a torn ACL last year, an injury that takes significant time before full recovery. Add that on top of the fact he's only appeared in 30 of 57 games this season, it'll take time for him to become entirely comfortable on his skates again. While he's still young and could potentially be a late bloomer, it's difficult to keep seeing him out there every night while the Isles are fighting for their playoff lives.

"It's hard for a guy that's been out of the lineup," Patrick Roy said. "And when he comes back in, you want to make sure that 'okay, is there something you don't understand?' Is there something I can help you to understand?... So, I really want to make sure that when the player comes in the lineup, he feels good. All he has to worry about is playing the game."

It doesn't appear as if Wahlstrom will be coming out of the lineup anytime soon, as there aren't many options for Lamoriello to turn to. Ideally, Pierre Engvall would be moved to the third line, and the team would bring in another winger - but that's a story for a different day.

With his contract expiring at the end of the season, there isn't much time left for Wahlstrom to prove himself if he wants to stay in blue and orange.