Report: Waivers Likely For Wahlstrom Despite New Contract

He was re-signed last week by the New York Islanders, to a one-year, $1 million deal, avoiding arbitration. But as we reported at the time, that agreement didn't mean that Wahlstrom would be suiting up with the Islanders this coming season. It seemed a trade was likely.

But, according to Arthur Staple of The Athletic, trade interest in the forward appears "tepid" at best, and it appears that a more unseemly fate likely awaits Wahlstrom, as he suggests, in essence, that the most likely scenario is being placed on waivers.

If Wahlstrom makes it to camp he’s got an uphill climb. Wahlstrom would need to have an incredible camp to secure a bottom-six spot. And if he’s the 13th forward, he doesn’t have a chance to show he belongs in the league, even on another team.
Waivers are probably his best chance to move on now.

Staple goes on to add that head coach Patrick Roy, after he took over a couple of months into the season, has not seen Wahlstrom as "a reliable bottom-six forward on a team with more than a few bottom-six candidates".

Wahlstrom, in fact, was a healthy scratch for 24 consecutive games — every single contest after February 24th, except for the meaningless final game of the season.

He finished the year with two goals and six points in 32 games played. It's been a rough time, indeed, for the former No. 11 overall pick by the Isles in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. In 193 games across 4+ seasons, he has 34 goals and 67 points, averaging under 12 minutes of ice time per night.

Perhaps a fresh start in a new environment would do Wahlstrom good, as it certainly doesn't seem that his future is with Patrick Roy and the Islanders.