Oliver Wahlstrom back in Islanders' lineup following Barry Trotz's timeout lesson

Oliver Wahlstrom’s benching lasted four periods. Now, Islanders coach Barry Trotz wants to see if this latest lesson sparks some more consistent play from the sharpshooter.

There are always stops and starts in the development of such a promising young player — defenseman Noah Dobson was brought along slowly his first two seasons before blossoming this season — and Trotz has borne the brunt of social-media criticism for not relying on Wahlstrom more or for not placing the former first-rounder on top-line center Mathew Barzal’s right wing.

Wahlstrom was back in the lineup after a one-game absence as the Islanders faced the reeling Flyers on Tuesday night at UBS Arena with the teams concluding a stretch of playing each other three times in nine days.

"I’m looking for consistency," Trotz said, detailing why Wahlstrom was a healthy scratch for Saturday night’s 3-1 loss to the visiting Maple Leafs. "I’m looking for consistency in decisions, consistency in effort and consistency in detail. I think, for the most part, Wahlly’s effort has been pretty good. More my concern with him is getting dialed in in those other two areas."

The 11th overall pick in 2018 entered Tuesday with eight goals and eight assists in 31 games, mainly playing on Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s third line. Four of those goals and three assists have come on the power play, where Wahlstrom tends to position himself in the left circle to fire off dangerous one-timers.

He also had the deciding shootout goal in the Islanders’ 4-3, nine-round shootout win at Philadelphia this past Tuesday. Trotz, again via social media, was criticized heavily for waiting until the ninth round to deploy Wahlstrom. But Trotz explained it was meant as a learning lesson/motivation after Wahlstrom "fumbled" his first three shootout chances this season. (It’s fair to note Wahlstrom had scored the Islanders’ only shootout goal entering Tuesday.)

But Trotz benched Wahlstrom for the third period of the Islanders’ next game, a 4-0 win over the visiting Coyotes on Jan. 21, before sitting him out against the Maple Leafs.

Late in the second period against the Coyotes, Wahlstrom sent a lazy pass into the slot from the right corner of the Islanders’ zone, leading to two Arizona scoring chances. That Wahlstrom managed to get back in the play and block two shots, helping to preserve the Islanders’ two-goal lead at the time, did not sway Trotz’s decision.

Trotz called the play a "good example" of how he wants Wahlstrom to improve his decision-making process.

"We’re in a tight hockey game and you’re very casual throwing a cross-ice pass into the slot," Trotz said. "That could have been a game changer.

"Just understanding the ability to manage games, manage the puck, manage the situation. Oliver is a player who, I think, all his career — obviously he can shoot the puck — but he’s always just stickhandled through trouble. He’s been a big body and strong. There’s times when you can’t stickhandle through trouble in this league. They’re just too good, too big, too strong. Just managing the puck. Sometimes you’ve got to chip it and retrieve it on the other side. Sometimes you’ve got to hang on to it and protect it and not expose it. Just understanding there’s a game-management component to every player which allows your team to win. Sometimes, he doesn’t have that balance."

But there’s a big difference between trying to teach Wahlstrom a lesson and being down on him as a player.

"He’s a big part of now and our future," Trotz said. "The more we can continue to teach him the right decision making, the right plays, his skill set will go to the next level."

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

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.