Oliver Wahlstrom makes case for spot on Islanders roster

Oliver Wahlstrom burned through a lot of chances last season, but the Islanders felt fit to give him another by re-signing him to a one-year contract this offseason.So while Wahlstrom is unlikely to exit the organization if he does not make the Islanders out of training camp, his shot at making the 23-man roster to start the season was hinging in no small part on Friday’s preseason finale, when the former first-round pick was given the chance to state his case on the fourth line, skating 11:44 and recording a pair of shots in a 5-2 win over the Rangers.“I loved him,” coach Patrick Roy said.“I thought that was a good line, they had a lot of chances and they had a lot of responsibility because they played against [the Rangers] top line and faceoffs in our zone and I felt very comfortable.

They had my trust.”The competition for the last two or three forward spots on the roster — depending how many the Islanders ultimately carry — has been razor-tight, with Wahlstrom, Julien Gauthier, Hudson Fasching, Pierre Engvall and Matt Martin all in the mix.“I am extremely happy with every one of them,” Roy said before Friday’s game.“… My job is not to decide which one will make the team.

My job is to make sure they all have the best opportunity to show what they could.”Wahlstrom has been solid in camp after his 2023-24 season was derailed due to his ineffectiveness coming off an ACL tear.Gauthier, who couldn’t crack the lineup under Patrick Roy last season, has been a pleasant surprise and put himself into the conversation for a lineup spot.Fasching, the incumbent, missed a couple days of practice this week with a lower-body injury, which opened the door a little further for someone else to make it.Engvall originally projected to start the season in the middle six and filled in for Kyle Palmieri (maintenance) on the second line Friday night, but hasn’t had the best of camps and doesn’t look to have a lineup spot guaranteed.Martin, who is here on ...