EAST MEADOW, NY — New York Islanders head coach Patrick Roy wanted to use the final two preseason games for his NHL lineup.
While the line configuration over the last few days is more or less what we’ll see on opening night, there’s still spots up for grabs.
Fourth-Line Right Wing, 13th Forward Spot
After Roy made it clear that Maxim Tsyplakov had won the second-line job and Simon Holmstrom had won the third-line job, the jury is still out on who will be lining up as the fourth-line right winger alongside Kyle MacLean and Casey Cizikas.
For a few days, it seemed like Julien Gauthier was the front-runner, as he’s had a strong camp. But Liam Foudy was certainly making his case, and despite Hudson Fasching being hurt, his play last season under Roy and the trust he earned made him a definite option.
But on Friday, Oliver Wahlstrom will get the chance on the fourth line, potentially his last chance to prove to the franchise that he’s worthy of a roster spot.
For the first time in a few years, the 24-year-old has had a whole summer to train rather than having to rehab after tearing his ACL in December.
“I’m just controlling what I can control. I know if I honed in on the four or five things I’ve been working on this summer, I can be a contributor to this team,” Wahlstrom said. “I don’t want to put any excuses on last year and the year before, but the summer was huge. I got to work out like an athlete this year. I got to just train really hard consistently every day. There was no rehab. My ACL leg is 100 times stronger than my right, and I gotta work on my right. But it’s been good, so I’m excited.”
Here’s what Roy had to say about his depth players:
On Fasching: “Unfortunately for Fasching, he got hurt against the Rangers when he went into the corner, but I thought he had a great game that night.”
On Gauthier: “Gauthier, he’s been playing very well, practiced very well. He was really good in the scrimmage, and I’m very happy with him.”
On Wahlstrom: “I’m very happy with WahIstrom. I mean, he’s been playing really well. He’s playing free. He’s got a shot. The goal that he scored against Jersey on that one-timer…I’m very happy.
“My job is not to decide which one will make our team,” Roy said. “My job is to make sure that they all have the best opportunity to show what they can. And that’s all I want. I have only good things to say about these guys because I thought they all played really well for us.”
Pierre Engvall is gearing up for the second of a seven-year deal but has been an extra at practice.
He’ll play Friday with Kyle Palmieri, who is missing the game due to maintenance.
It doesn’t seem that Engvall’s going to be in the starting lineup, which likely makes him one of the extra forwards when the season begins.
Obviously, the extra forward(s) spot depends on who cracks the starting lineup.
Depth chart for the fourth-line role, per what we’ve seen:
1. Julien Gauthier
2. Hudson Fasching
3. Matt Martin
4. Oliver Wahlstrom
5. Liam Foudy
6. Fredrik Karlstrom
It’s very hard to gauge where Engvall fits into this Islanders depth puzzle.
His speed matches MacLean and Cizikas, but the Islanders have yet to try that. But then, he gets a chance in a top-six role, so it seems that Roy doesn’t really know what to do with him yet.
One would think he would be the 13th forward by default, but we shall see.
Seventh Defenseman Spot
The Islanders’ six starting defensemen were given when Mike Reilly signed a one-year contract extension on July 1:
Adam Pelech – Ryan Pulock
Alex Romanov – Noah Dobson
Mike Reilly – Scott Mayfield
The question is, who gets the seventh spot?
Right now, the battle is between veterans Grant Hutton and Dennis Cholowski.
Hutton is playing on Friday in Scott Mayfield’s spot alongside Reilly.
“It’s big for my confidence, just being able to be on the ice with those guys and be given the chance to prove that I can play with a more normal lineup,” Hutton said. “‘I’ve been around this organization for a long time now, and I’ve gotten a taste of what the NHL is like, and I’ve said it before, but once you get that taste, it’s hard to imagine it any other way. So, I’m happy to be here, and hopefully, I will continue to contribute.”
Samuel Bolduc seems out of the running, per Roy.
“He’s a good hockey player. He’s got great potential. But that’s the thing,” Roy said. “What I like with Cholowski and Hutton is the consistency that they bring in their game.
“Would I like to see Samuel have more awareness and be a little better in this compete-level situation? Yes.”
FINAL THOUGHTS
It’s pretty clear that contract status isn’t something Roy is considering when creating his lineup.
He’s made it clear that he’s going to field the best lineup he can, but it’s also clear that general manager Lou Lamoriello will ultimately have the final say, as he’s the one who has to make sure the team is salary-cap compliant.
The Islanders will make their final cuts on Saturday, with rosters due to the league offices on Oct. 7, three days before the Islanders host the Utah Hockey Club on Oct. 10.
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