Life is full of full-circle moments. When the Boston Bruins claimed Oliver Wahlstrom off waivers from the New York Islanders on Saturday, it felt like just another one of those stories. Wahlstrom, a native of Portland, Maine, went viral as a nine-year-old for an insane shootout move that earned him national attention. That move just so happened to take place at TD Garden. Fast-forward to the present day and Wahlstrom is a member of the same Bruins team he grew up cheering for as a child.
As a prospect, Wahlstrom’s combination of size and elite shot made him an exciting player to watch. The hype would result in him being selected 11th overall in 2018 with the expectation that he would be a legitimate top-six scoring threat. Unfortunately, Wahlstrom’s career hasn’t yet panned out that way.
Despite flashes of his potential, Wahlstrom has struggled to consistently bring it all together at the NHL level. A player with his skill set—great size, skilled puck-work and a heavy shot—is better suited for a top-six role, but his performances with the Islanders didn’t justify that kind of ice time.
In 220 games with the Islanders, Wahlstrom would score just 36 goals and 71 points, including two goals and four points in 27 games this season.
It left both him and the Islanders stuck in a tough spot. He wasn’t a “bad” player, but he never lived up to his draft pedigree, which made the situation feel like a disappointment all around.
A Low-Risk Gamble for the Bruins
In Boston, Wahlstrom has a chance for a fresh start. The Bruins will always face their usual high expectations from fans and media, but Wahlstrom’s draft status won’t weigh as heavily in a place that didn’t use any draft capital to acquire him. Combine that with the fact that he’s making just $1 million this season and it becomes apparent that Wahlstrom is a low-cost, high-upside option for a team desperately searching for value.
With limited draft capital in recent years, the Bruins haven’t had as many opportunities to bring in NHL-caliber players on cheap deals. Claiming the New England native off waivers is a smart bit of asset management for a team trying to find a spark.
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