The last two Islanders coaches have tried a short-leash approach with Oliver Wahlstrom. At worst, the results have been bad.
At best, they have been mixed, with a serious knee injury in December 2022 muddying the picture.
In Patrick Roy, though, Wahlstrom finally has a coach on Long Island who is trying something different: Stating his belief in the youngster repeatedly and backing it up with his actions.
Wahlstrom has played just two games under Roy’s leadership so far, but his standing within the hierarchy already appears to have changed.
Julien Gauthier, a lineup fixture under Lane Lambert, was waived instead of him when the Isles needed to clear cap space.
Roy has spent one-on-one time with Wahlstrom and wants to spend more.
He has made a point of giving him another chance, in particular by putting Wahlstrom back on the ice after committing an interference penalty late in Monday’s win over the Maple Leafs that led to Toronto tying the score.
For a 23-year-old who had been all but left out in the cold by the prior administration, that has meant a whole lot.
“It’s a game. So you’re gonna make mistakes and it’s all about how you respond to them,” Wahlstrom told The Post before the Islanders faced Tampa on Thursday. “You can’t respond to a mistake when you’re benched. It’s a different mindset for sure right now.”
It is worth noting that with the trade deadline approaching, the Islanders could benefit if Wahlstrom has more value.
His contract expires after this season, though he is under team control as a restricted free agent.
If things do not work out under Roy, it would make sense for both sides to move on this summer. And it would not be especially surprising if Wahlstrom was moved at the deadline.
But Wahlstrom and Roy both sound like people who want to make it work here, with the club that drafted the potential-filled native of Maine back in 2018.
“I’m a believer in second chances and giving the opportunity to show [improvement],” Roy said. “And I think when you make a mistake, you want to make sure you got that back. And actually one or two shifts after, he had the same situation and he threw [the puck] back. And that’s what I did [Wednesday], when we did his one-on-one game together, I showed him: Look at the difference and look at this. They always need to understand that sometimes you need to move the puck quicker. That’s all.”
Lambert and Barry Trotz were far more defensive-minded coaches than Roy, and stressed that in their handling of Wahlstrom.
A natural scorer, he was asked to develop better habits in his own end, manage the puck carefully and become a more physical presence.
None of that was bad in a vacuum — indeed, Wahlstrom has talked in the past about how it helped him. But you get the sense he is a little bit more free now.
“I love asking [Roy] questions: What can I do here or how can I score a goal or create something? That’s part of the game now,” Wahlstrom said. “In the past, I’ve been taught a lot about defense. Maybe my offense has carried away a little bit in focusing on playing defense and playing the right way. So now I need to add my offense to it.”
Remember, the first thing on the scouting report when Wahlstrom was breaking into the league was his shot.
As recent as two seasons ago, it felt like he would easily become an annual 25-goal scorer in this league.
In his last 132 games, Wahlstrom has scored 22 goals. His confidence, particularly upon return from injury at the start of this season, has looked sapped.
It has been a short time under Roy. But Wahlstrom does look like he’s enjoying himself more on the ice.
“It’s not an easy league,” Wahlstrom said. “It’s all about coming to the rink and working every day. I still have so much belief that my game is still there. I just gotta find it. It’s within me. I’m excited to keep going and try to find it.”
So too is the head coach. And that might make all the difference.