Oliver Wahlstrom burned through a lot of chances last season, but the Islanders felt fit to give him another by re-signing him to a one-year contract this offseason.
So while Wahlstrom is unlikely to exit the organization if he does not make the Islanders out of training camp, his shot at making the 23-man roster to start the season was hinging in no small part on Friday’s preseason finale, when the former first-round pick was given the chance to state his case on the fourth line, skating 11:44 and recording a pair of shots in a 5-2 win over the Rangers.
“I loved him,” coach Patrick Roy said. “I thought that was a good line, they had a lot of chances and they had a lot of responsibility because they played against [the Rangers] top line and faceoffs in our zone and I felt very comfortable. They had my trust.”
The competition for the last two or three forward spots on the roster — depending how many the Islanders ultimately carry — has been razor-tight, with Wahlstrom, Julien Gauthier, Hudson Fasching, Pierre Engvall and Matt Martin all in the mix.
“I am extremely happy with every one of them,” Roy said before Friday’s game. “… My job is not to decide which one will make the team. My job is to make sure they all have the best opportunity to show what they could.”
Wahlstrom has been solid in camp after his 2023-24 season was derailed due to his ineffectiveness coming off an ACL tear.
Gauthier, who couldn’t crack the lineup under Patrick Roy last season, has been a pleasant surprise and put himself into the conversation for a lineup spot.
Fasching, the incumbent, missed a couple days of practice this week with a lower-body injury, which opened the door a little further for someone else to make it.
Engvall originally projected to start the season in the middle six and filled in for Kyle Palmieri (maintenance) on the second line Friday night, but hasn’t had the best of camps and doesn’t look to have a lineup spot guaranteed.
Martin, who is here on a PTO, can’t be counted out due to his status as a respected veteran who is well-loved in the dressing room.
Liam Foudy and Fredrik Karlstrom have both put in strong camps as well, but look destined for AHL Bridgeport.
It is, easily, the strongest training camp pool the Islanders have had for the last few seasons, and every practice and preseason game has held weight.
Monday’s roster deadline means there is still the weekend to make an impression in practice, but Friday was a major chance for Wahlstrom, who skated alongside Casey Cizikas and Kyle MacLean.
“I thought we had another good night. Just gotta hound pucks and keep reloading in the O-Zone,” MacLean told The Post. “That’s when we’ve been getting our chances. Wally had a couple good chances tonight. I thought we did really well and he had a great game.”
If Wahlstrom doesn’t make the roster, he would be put on waivers, where another team could pick him up.
If unclaimed, he would go to AHL Bridgeport and — presumably — be one of the Islanders’ first call-ups in case of injury.
“I had no expectations coming into this camp, other than the three or four things I want to focus on in my game,” Wahlstrom said before the game. “I don’t pay attention — can’t pay attention — to what management’s doing or lines or anything. Just control what you can control. I think that’s the biggest thing being a young player in this league and staying in, keeping your cool.
“And at the end of the day, just enjoy it, have fun. This game was built for kids anyways, when it first started.”
