The New York Islanders announced that forward Oliver Wahlstrom is sidelined day-to-day with an injury from Monday’s game.
Trotz: Wahlstrom “day to day right now.” Will have further evaluation when #Isles return home.
— Arthur Staple (@StapeAthletic) May 25, 2021
Oliver Wahlstrom Injured
In Monday night’s game, Penguins defenceman Mike Matheson checked Wahlstrom into the boards with his shoulder as they raced to retrieve the puck.
It was a legal hit; however, Matheson’s stick appeared to get caught around Wahlstrom’s neck following the initial contact. This caused Wahlstrom’s head to snap back when the two eventually collided with the boards. Wahlstrom’s leg bent also under him at an awkward angle as he collided with the boards.
He immediately exited the game with the help of a trainer.
So far this season, Wahlstrom has scored 12 goals and nine assists for 21 points. However, he also has 21 penalty minutes. Wahlstrom’s possession numbers were 48.3 percent Corsi and a relative Corsi of -1.7.
Over his two-year NHL career, Wahlstrom has remained with the New York Islanders. He has 12 goals and nine assists for 21 career points in 53 career games. Wahlstrom was originally drafted by the New York Islanders in the first round, 11th overall in the 2018 NHL draft.
What This Means for the Future
In the series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Islanders’ top six have been underperforming. As such, the majority of the team’s scoring has come from the bottom lines. Before his injury, Wahlstrom – a third-line winger – had been one of the Islanders’ most productive forwards. He recorded a goal and two assists for three points through four playoff games.
Wahlstrom’s absence will destabilize the Islanders’ forward lines at an extremely inopportune time. Kyle Palmieri and Jean-Gabriel Pageau need a right-winger. At the moment, the best plan seems to be bumping up Cal Clutterbuck from the fourth line. However, that would still require another player to fill Clutterbuck’s spot, and there aren’t many great options. Considering that whoever the Islanders choose to promote will also have to contend with adjusting to the team during the playoffs, where the margin for error is slim, assembling a functioning bottom six will be a tall task.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
