Boston Bruins

Bruins Can Add Scoring Depth With Struggling Islander Wahlstrom

Published

8 months ago

July 24, 2024

AP Photo/Mark Zaleski

The Boston Bruins have been one of the NHL’s most active teams this offseason, spending a franchise-record $92 million in free agency on nine players to address key needs in the middle of the ice and on the blue line.

But even with all the moves that general manager Don Sweeney has made this summer, the one that still remains–aside from reaching an agreement on a contract extension with restricted free agent goalie Jeremy Swayman–is adding a goal scorer.

Plenty of players capable of putting the puck in the back of the net were available on the open market, but with glaring holes elsewhere on their roster and only so many funds available to work with, the Bruins opted to prioritize fortifying their defense.

“The depth of our defense is the strength of our hockey club, and I wanted to make sure we had those foundational pieces in place,” Sweeney said on July 1. “I think this group, as a whole, we can tease a little more offense out of it.”

The Bruins are approaching this season with an offense-by-committee attitude. Out of all the players currently listed on their roster, only David Pastrnak scored more than 30 goals last season. While Pastrnak is a perennial candidate for the Rocket Richard Trophy, which the latest NHL betting odds have him among the favorites to win once again, the Bruins will need to add some more firepower if they hope to make a deep playoff run.

Internal candidates such as prospects Fabian Lysell and Georgii Merkulov are being relied upon to take the next step, but they remain unproven commodities. At this point, most of the prime free agents have already signed elsewhere, and there are few goal-scoring options left. But perhaps the Bruins could add some offensive depth by trading for a player with close ties to the Boston area.

If the name Oliver Wahlstrom sounds familiar, it may be because you saw him score an insane, spinning backhand goal in a Bruins mini 1-on-1 competition back in 2010 at the age of nine.

Do you remember Oliver Wahlstrom's legendary lacrosse-style shootout goal during @TDBank_US Mini 1-on-1? pic.twitter.com/Ey2zACcYCn

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) January 11, 2018

Now a member of the New York Islanders, that scoring touch is still a central component of the New England native’s game.

Oliver Wahlstrom. Bullet. The Islanders win?? pic.twitter.com/zLVry2TOc2

— Rob Taub (@RTaub_) November 19, 2023

The only problem is that Wahlstorm has had little opportunity to showcase it lately.

When the Islanders selected Wahlstrom out of Boston College with the 11th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, they did so with the belief that he’d become a mainstay in their lineup as a sniper alongside Mathew Barzal. Instead, Wahlstrom’s career has been marred by inconsistency while he’s received minimal playing time within a crowded Islanders forward group.

In 193 career games, Wahlstrom has scored 67 points with 33 goals and 34 assists. Last season, he appeared in just 32 games, scoring a career-low six points with two goals and four assists while working his way back from a lower-body injury he suffered the year prior that required surgery to repair.

Wahlstrom, 24, played on a cheap qualifying offer last season that he signed as a restricted free agent and finds himself back in the same position today with his arbitration hearing scheduled for Aug. 1. But even though Wahlstrom will likely have little leverage in negotiations, the Islanders can’t afford to give him a raise of any sort as they’re hard-pressed against the cap with just $50,000 left in available space, according to Puckpedia.

Now, the Islanders trading Wahlstrom seems to be the only possible resolution, and the Bruins could have him in a deal that should cost them no more than the low price of a late-round draft pick.

Of course, the Bruins have their only salary cap to worry about, as they’ll likely need to use most of, if not all, of the $8.64 million they have in remaining space to sign Swayman. Adding Walhstrom will surely eat a small portion of that, but the Bruins don’t have to be cap-compliant until the first day of the regular season and can adjust based on results in training camp.

Overall it’s a low-risk, high-reward trade.

At worst, even if he doesn’t make the team, Wahlstrom will provide the sense of internal competition that Sweeney has discussed, with his presence in training camp pushing the other forwards.

At best, the fresh start helps Wahlstom realize his potential, while the Bruins get a player with an elite-quality shot on a bargain of a contract.

It’s not the original option the Bruins had in mind, but given the state of their roster, it’s as good as any other that they have.