When Oliver Wahlstrom filed for salary arbitration on July 5, the expectation was that he and the New York Islanders would never make it to the hearing.
Although Wahlstrom was likely to be moved before his Aug. 1 hearing, the two sides could also settle.
And the latter is what happened, as Wahlstrom agreed to a one-year deal with a cap hit of $1 million.
Wahlstrom's qualifying offer was $917,831, and with him getting $1 million, the Islanders would be $950,000 over the cap if the 24-year-old is expected to be on the NHL roster.
Wahlstrom is not waiver-exempt, so if the Islanders did want him to play with Bridgeport this season, the rest of the NHL would have a chance to snag him.
Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello said at the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas that they'd be open to giving Wahlstrom an opportunity elsewhere but wouldn't give him away for free—waivers would be exactly that.
Wahlstrom has struggled to live up to the expectations of being a prolific goal-scorer after the Islanders drafted him with the 11th overall pick at the 2018 NHL Draft.
Through three coaches—Barry Trotz, Lane Lambert, and Patrick Roy—Wahlstrom struggled to show off his shot and play a responsible enough 200-foot game, which limited his minutes and opportunities.
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So, how does the Islanders' settling help the Islanders?
Well, just because Wahlstrom has been signed doesn't mean that trading him is off the table.
Now that he has a contract, it could make things easier.
It's similar to the situation of the New York Rangers and Kaapo Kakko, their second-round pick in 2019. Unlike Wahlstrom, the 23-year-old signed his qualifying offer, a one-year deal worth $2.4 million, but the expectation is that Kakko gets dealt.
Right now, there's no room for Wahlstrom's game on the NHL roster, and that's with them projected to only roster 22 men due to cap constraints.
If Wahlstrom is to make the squad in the fall, that means a player has to come off the roster.
A player like Hudson Fasching leaving wouldn't work, as he only makes $775,000, leaving the Islanders still $175,000 over the cap.
Holmstrom is making $850,000 on his one-year deal, so moving him doesn't completely solve the problem either.
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