Josh Ho-Sang's future with the Islanders' organization remains open-ended
New York Islanders right wing Josh Ho-Sang skates against the Detroit Red Wings in the second period at Nassau Coliseum on Dec. 15, 2018. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Chris Lamoriello is not ruling out Josh Ho-Sang returning to the Islanders’ organization this season, despite the offensively gifted skater being loaned to Orebro of the Swedish Hockey League after not receiving an invite to training camp.
The general manager of the Islanders’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport, and son of Islanders president and GM Lou Lamoriello, described the loan as "open-ended" and agreed to by Ho-Sang, the 28th overall pick in 2014. The Sound Tigers start an abridged, 24-game season on Feb. 5 played solely against the Rangers’ affiliate in Hartford and the Bruins’ affiliate in Providence.
"Josh is extremely talented and very lucky early in his career to play in a number of NHL games," Chris Lamoriello said on Monday via Zoom.
"We felt with our schedule only being 24 games, he gets a chance to get in the lineup quicker in a greater volume of games in a shorter period of time," Lamoriello added. "We spoke to him about it. He agreed. This isn’t something that will determine his future for this season. There’s an open end to this."
Ho-Sang was loaned to the Blues’ organization last season after requesting a trade when he did not make the Islanders’ roster out of training camp. He agreed this offseason to a one-year, two-way contract worth $700,000 NHL / $225,000 AHL as a restricted free agent after electing salary arbitration. He has seven goals and 17 assists in 53 career NHL games.
"The communication with Josh has been excellent," Lamoriello said. "That’s been ongoing. That’s been consistent."
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
