Oliver Wahlstrom is taking his next step in Sweden.
After failing to land an NHL contract this summer, the 26-year-old winger has signed a one-year deal with SHL club Djurgarden, the team announced. Wahlstrom had been an unrestricted free agent, and instead of settling for an AHL contract, he’s heading overseas.
Wahlstrom entered the league with plenty of promise. The Islanders made him the 11th overall pick in the 2018 draft after his offensive work with the US National Team Development Program and a strong freshman season at Boston College in 2018-19. He turned pro after that, making his NHL debut the following season.
But the move came fast, and the results never fully matched the pedigree. Wahlstrom has only one full NHL season to his name, coming in 2021-22 when he scored a career-high 13 goals and finished with 24 points in 73 games.
Since then, he’s spent most of his time on the edge of an NHL roster. His last top-level action came in 2024-25 after Boston claimed him off waivers. In parts of six NHL seasons, he has produced 37 goals and 36 assists in 236 games.
Last season, Wahlstrom played only in the AHL with San Jose on a minor-league deal and put up 24 goals and 18 assists in 62 games. That year also made him a veteran for AHL purposes going forward, a label that limits teams to dressing six such players per game and can make the market tougher.
Rather than chase a camp invite and hope it turns into at most a two-way deal, Wahlstrom’s choice makes sense. He gets guaranteed money, a bigger role, and a chance to rebuild his value. A strong season in Sweden could put him back on the NHL radar, or set him up for a healthier market overseas next summer.
In Other News...
Islanders Have An Early Camp Test For A Contract Fans Still Question
Pierre Engvall was back on the ice for the Islanders as training camp opened, a welcome sight after he missed all of last season following hip and ankle surgeries. The forward skated with the first group on Day 1, giving the club an early look at where he stands physically as the team begins sorting out lines, roles and expectations for the season ahead.
His return also brings renewed attention to the long contract he signed in 2023, which still has plenty of runway left. For a player whose health and production have been under the microscope, camp is an immediate test, and it comes at a time when Islanders fans are still looking for clearer answers about how he fits into the bigger picture. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Camp Just Got More Urgent With DeBoer Taking An Unusual Approach
A shortened training camp already gives the Islanders less room for error, and Peter DeBoer is leaning into that reality with an approach meant to sharpen physical play and defensive-zone detail before the schedule gets even longer. With the NHL moving into an expanded 84-game season, there is little time for gradual buildup, so every on-ice session carries a little more weight than usual.
Mathew Barzals absence for most of camp only adds to the urgency, especially for a team trying to get its structure set early. His availability for the opener is still unresolved, which leaves the Islanders working through camp with one of their most important pieces on the sidelines while the rest of the roster tries to absorb a different kind of preparation than the usual preseason routine. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Camp Already Has One Young Forward Forcing Attention
Training camp opened with the Islanders getting a first real look at where their forward depth stands, and the initial scrimmage offered just enough to keep attention fixed on the younger names. The Blue and White groups skated to a 1-1 tie, with Bo Horvat finding the net and a few of the clubs goalies, including Semyon Varlamov, Vitek Vanecek, Ilya Sorokin and Joshua Kotai, sharing the workload as Pete DeBoer used the session to push players into game-like situations.
Victor Eklund was part of the early buzz after scoring in the scrimmage, another reminder that camp can quickly turn into an audition for anyone trying to climb the ladder. DeBoer said the short camp makes these reps especially valuable for evaluation, and for a young forward trying to force his way into the conversation, every chance to show up in those scrimmages matters. [Read more 🡒]