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New York Islanders on The Hockey News
If Islanders Are Still Looking To Trade Wahlstrom, Return Could Be What Canucks Just Got For Podkolzin
By Stefen Rosner,
15 hours ago
We are about a month away from the start of training camp, and Oliver Wahlstrom is still a member of the New York Islanders.
The 24-year-old sniper, who was selected 11th overall in 2019, has only 34 goals in 193 career games and has struggled to play a consistent two-way game, which is a must in today’s NHL.
After signing his qualifying offer last summer — with no leverage for a long-term deal — Wahlstrom and the Islander settled on a one-year, $1 million contract this summer after filing for arbitration.
He isn’t likely to make the Islanders roster, and his cap hit has the Islanders exceeding the allotted $88 million salary cap by $950,000.
Barring a tremendous camp from Wahlstrom or a trade to open up a roster spot, the Maine native will likely be the odd man out.
"He's been working very hard all summer," Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello said following the conclusion of the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas. "And if we can get him an opportunity because it hasn't worked out, [we will], but we're not just going to give him away."
If the Islanders, in their mind, can’t find a suitor for the price they want, at the very least, Wahlstrom will get a chance to make his case to remain on the island.
He’ll compete with Simon Holmstrom and Hudson Fasching for the 12th and 13th spots at forward, not including free agent signings Liam Foudy and Erik Karlstrom.
The question is, how much is Wahlstrom worth at this moment in time?
A recent trade may have provided the answer.
On Sunday, the Vancouver Canucks traded 23-year-old forward Vasili Podkolzin to the Edmonton Oilers for a 2025 fourth-round pick.
The former 10th overall pick by the Canucks in 2019 never lived up to expectations over his three years in Vancouver, scoring 18 goals in 137 career games.
Stephen R&period Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Podkolzin played in 19 games this past season but went scoreless with two assists.
If Podkzolin was waiver-exempt, sending him to Abbotsford, their AHL affiliate, would be easy without giving the other 31 teams a chance to snag him.
His $1 million cap hit through 2024-25 would be completely buried in the minors, but knowing he would likely get claimed, Canucks general manager Patrick Allvin insisted he'd use the remaining value that Podkolzin had for a mid-round pick.
The Wahlstrom situation is similar, as he also carries a $1 million cap hit.
While that could help him and Podkolzin pass through waivers, it’s more likely a team like the Anaheim Ducks would take a chance on a young reclamation project.
That means the Islanders would lose their once-promising prospect for free, which is never ideal.
Wahlstrom's game has had some bright spots, specifically in 2020-21, when he had 12 goals and nine assists for 21 points in 44 games.
It looked like he would set offensive career highs across the board in 2022-23 after seven goals and nine assists for 16 points in 35 games.
But just as he started to find his game at the NHL level, a season-ending ACL injury in December 2022 not only ended a promising year but also stunted his ability to build on his game in the offseason.
He wasn’t 100 percent when the 2023-24 season began, and in his second year under Lane Lambert and in a nine-game “tryout” under Patrick Roy, he failed to do enough to get any more ice time until a meaningless Game 82 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, a few months later.
The Islanders must be cap compliant by Oct. 10, their season-opener at UBS Arena against Utah Hockey Club, so if the Islanders can’t find a trade partner, it’s likely Wahlstrom will hit waivers before opening night unless he earns a spot on the NHL roster.
Training camps will begin in mid-September, so stay tuned.
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