Boston has claimed former first-round player from their Eastern Conference rivals off waivers

Per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, via X, Boston has claimed winger Oliver Wahlstrom off waivers from the Islanders in order to add more offensive depth. The other Islander placed on waivers, Pierre Engvall, went unclaimed and has cleared waivers.

It's been a tough few years for Oliver Wahlstrom with the Islanders. After being selected 11th overall in 2018 off of a strong offensive season with the US National Team Development Program, the now 24-year-old turned pro after one season at Boston College.

The Islanders had projected Wahlstrom to be a player who could work his way into becoming a reliable offensive contributor relatively fast.

While he showed promise early in his NHL career, his development has stalled. Wahlstrom made his NHL debut in the 2020-21 season, scoring 12 goals and adding nine assists in 44 games.

The following season saw a slight bump to 13 goals and 11 assists over 73 games. In 2022-23, he managed 16 points in just 35 games, hinting at potential despite limited playing time.

Last season, however, was a significant struggle for Wahlstrom. He spent much of it as a healthy scratch, finishing with just six points in 32 games.