Oliver Wahlstrom joins Bruins in Calgary
The Bruins earned their mental and physical day off among the beautiful vistas of Calgary and beyond on Sunday.
But this is no time to exhale.
The B’s are coming off one of their best wins of the year, a 5-1 drubbing of a pretty good Canucks team (though you wouldn’t know it by the panic that has suddenly arisen in Vancouver). But that only stopped the bleeding after two horrendous losses in Winnipeg and Seattle in which they were outscored 13-2.
The B’s got back to work for a practice at the Saddledome on Monday in preparation for their game against the Flames on Tuesday, their fourth of a five-game road trip. It’s yet to be determined if the roadie will be a marginal success or a failure.
Right wing Oliver Wahlstrom, claimed by the B’s on Saturday from the New York Islanders, arrived in Calgary on Sunday night and joined the team for his first Bruin practice. Coach Joe Sacco would not commit to putting the 24-year-old Wahlstrom into the lineup on Tuesday, but was glad to see him in his first practice and tried him for some shifts on the third line with Trent Frederic and Charlie Coyle. Sacco said not to read too much into the practice lines.
“I just wanted to see his excitement level and I think he’s looking at this as a new opportunity, just like most players would. You get a new opportunity to go somewhere else and at some point you get a chance to show the team what you can do,” Sacco told reporters in Calgary.
Wahlstrom will No. 71, last worn by Taylor Hall. The Maine native and short-time Boston College Eagle was thrilled pull on the jersey of the team for which he rooted as a kid.
“I was a pretty big (Bruins’ fan),” said Wahlstrom. “(Brad Marchand) called me the other day and that was pretty cool. I obviously grew up watching him play, winning the 2011 Stanley Cup. And I know (David Pastrnak), too. I really don’t know if it’s sunk in yet. It’s a dream come true to be back home where my family and friends live.”
Wahlstrom was a teammate and roommate of Marc McLaughlin’s for his year at BC , played with Parker Wotherspoon with the Islanders’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport and also played with John Beecher with the US National team..
His combination of size and his big league shot made him the 11th overall pick in 2018, bur he never quite took off in the Islander organization despite some early promise. In 2020-21, he had 12-9-21 in 44 games and then had 13-11-24 in 73 games the following year. But his next season was cut short when he suffered an ACL tear, limiting him to just 35 games that year and then 32 games last season.
In 27 games this year, Wahlstrom had 2-2-4 totals before being placed on waivers last Friday. Considering his relatively cheap price, ($1 million AAV), it was hard for the offensively-challenged B’s to pass up on him.
“I’m really excited to work with these guys and develop as a Bruin. I feel my game could maybe contribute a little bit here and I’ll try to find my offensive flair again and keeping playing that way,” said Wahlstrom.
“Obviously, the shot’s there, but I’ve been working on a lot of other things in my game that maybe helps get to those areas, too. I don’t know when I’m going to play but I’m excited to get some game action and see who I’m playing with and just go from there.”
The B’s didn’t claim Wahlstrom to put him in the press box forever. On the other hand, it would be tough to take out anybody after the win over Vancouver in which no one played poorly. Sacco hopes his team can build off that performance.
“We did a lot of things well in that game. The biggest takeaway for me is the start of the game, something that we hadn’t had in the (previous) couple of games,” said Sacco. “When you fall behind early like we did in Seattle and Winnipeg, it’s tough in this league to catch up. It’s tough to chase games. We did a better job of staying disciplined, number one. We stayed out of the box, which was a big thing. And then obviously getting the lead by just playing a good brand of hockey for that first period….
“I thought our checking was solid, especially the first half of the game. I thought that our puck play was good. Our breakout execution was solid and O-zone play, we worked it at the bottom. We used the goal line, we used the back of the net, something that we’re trying to reinforce with our guys. And we created some good looks in the slot, which was very important for us.”
Meanwhile, Wahlstrom will be ready whenever he gets the tap on the shoulder.
“The spoked B, it hit me pretty hard just when I was putting on my laundry,” said Wahlstrom. “That was a pretty cool moment, just to wear the Boston Bruins logo. I’ve gotten to know a couple of these guys now. It’s a really good room, so I’m excited.”