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NY Post
New York Post
16 Jul 2023


NextImg:Three Islanders questions Lou Lamoriello will need to address by training camp

The Islanders got most of their offseason business done at the onset of free agency, re-signing all of their key unrestricted free agents and inking a big extension with Ilya Sorokin.

But that doesn’t mean the offseason is done.

General manager Lou Lamoriello still has some decisions on his plate, even as the league moves toward a quiet period on the calendar.

Even if the offseason turns out to be an exercise in bringing the same roster back for another year, that task is not yet complete.

The Post looks at the three biggest questions facing the Islanders between now and training camp:

Where does Oliver Wahlstrom fit?

Wahlstrom, who is still unsigned as a restricted free agent, might be the most interesting player in training camp for the Islanders, assuming something is worked out between now and then.

After the Islanders went the last four months of the season without Wahlstrom, who suffered an ACL tear in December, there’s not an obvious spot for him on the depth chart if Zach Parise returns.

Oliver Wahlstrom skates against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena.
NHLI via Getty Images

If Parise retires, the third line is a logical place to start on Day 1 of camp, but Simon Holmstrom and Julien Gauthier will fancy their chances there as well. Arnaud Durandeau could put himself into contention with a strong camp as well.

Wahlstrom’s 2022-23 season was shaping up to be good, but not great prior to his injury.

Every part of his game looked to be taking a step forward, except the goal scoring, which wasn’t quite where the Islanders wanted it.

The selling point of Wahlstrom’s game has always been his shot and offensive ability.

But last season, he looked more like a physical middle-six player with a bit of spark than someone who could score 30 goals alongside Mathew Barzal on the top line.

If Wahlstrom signs a one- or two-year bridge deal, that will be the window in which the Islanders need to make a decision on which of those buckets he falls into.

Does Zach Parise return?

Parise, who turns 39 on July 29, has yet to announce whether he’ll retire. If he returns, it is presumed the Islanders would sign him to a league minimum deal for next season.

What is problematic here is the degree to which the Islanders could struggle to replace Parise’s contributions if he is not back.

Parise was one of just three players who scored more than 20 goals for them last season, can play on both special teams units and has not missed a single game since joining the Islanders in 2021.

Zach Parise skates with the puck against Jesperi Kotkaniemi #82 of the Carolina Hurricanes in Game Four of the First Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Zach Parise skates with the puck against Jesperi Kotkaniemi #82 of the Carolina Hurricanes in Game Four of the First Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
NHLI via Getty Images

A scorer is already the single biggest need for the roster. Losing Parise would not help in that department — and would heighten the urgency for Wahlstrom to take the next steps forward in his game.

Is there another move left?

The easy answer here is probably not.

A chance at Alex DeBrincat slipped away.

And it would require a lot of maneuvering to sign Vladimir Tarasenko.

But Lamoriello shouldn’t be counted out here, and has expressed openness to making a hockey deal.

There’s not an obvious target on the market right now, but that could change, or Lamoriello could find something that isn’t obvious.

Most likely, the depth chart in training camp is the same as the depth chart now, just with Parise’s name either in pen or erased.

It would be easier to make a move during the season, once the Islanders can accumulate cap space and take on salary.

Still, if an opportunity to add a scorer opens up between now and September, the Islanders will want to jump on it.