Josh Ho-Sang is getting another opportunity to prove he was worth all the hype.
The New York Islanders recalled the 22-year-old right winger on Sunday afternoon, sending goaltender Christopher Gibson back down to the team’s AHL affiliate in Bridgeport.
Ho-Sang has been one of his team’s top playmakers so far this season alongside Michael Dal Colle, leading the Sound Tigers with 22 points (two goals, 20 assists). That kind of offensive talent is needed for an Islanders team that is struggling to string together consistent offensive outputs, especially on the power play.
Dating back to Nov. 18, the Islanders have scored just one power-play goal on 23 man advantages. It’s a big reason why they’re 4-5-1 over their past 10 games.
Drafted 28th overall in 2014, Ho-Sang was considered by many as a top-10 talent in that year’s class. However, questions of his attitude and demeanor off the ice saw his stock fall.
It’s been a battle to get consistent time in the NHL as the Islanders continuously gave the Toronto native a short leash. In 2015, he was cut on the first day of training camp after showing up late as the old regime of Garth Snow and Jack Capuano set a precedent that has continued throughout the past four years.
Ho-Sang has appeared in just 43 games since making his NHL debut during the 2016-17 season, recording six goals and 16 assists. He’s made his disappointment of not being with the big club known more often than not, including twice over the past year.
In March, under former head coach Doug Weight, Ho-Sang said it was “disappointing” he wasn’t able to spend more time in the NHL. Those feelings didn’t necessarily change when Lou Lamoriello and Barry Trotz took over:
“I felt like they had their minds made up on what was going to happen and what the team was going to look like,” Ho-Sang said (h/t NY Post). “It’s OK. They had the whole summer to plan that. I don’t know if you watched any of the games, but I didn’t play a lot. It’s OK. It is what it is.”
Shortly after, Ho-Sang recorded eight points (1 G, 7 A) in his following three games, sparking the hot streak that has resulted in his promotion to the NHL.
Lamoriello said on Sunday, via Arthur Staple of the Athletic, that Ho-Sang has been called up for depth purposes with Anders Lee and Tom Kuhnhackl battling some injury issues. There is a possibility that he might not even play.
