Ho-Sang Wants NHL TOI and the Oilers Should Give It To Him

This just in from the New York Post:

“He’s a baby,” Thompson said. “He’s a baby, he’s immature and he’s got a lot of growing to do. I’m excited. The upside of him is outstanding. He worked hard today, he’s been working really hard. We all make mistakes, we all have bad games. It’s how do we respond from those and what do we learn from them? Every piece of this season for Josh, with us, is a development piece. It’s just going to be a longer process with some people. – Islanders AHL Coach Brent Thompson

Overall that quote isn’t bad but when you start reading it you have to wonder where it’s going right?

But Ho-Sang had his own thoughts about being stuck in the minors,

“Yeah, I’m only young, but I’m burning years off my NHL career. It sucks,” he said. “You want to be up top. For me, I didn’t look at it this way until this year. I was looking forward to hopefully my first [full] NHL season.”

“I enjoy playing up there and I find that when I’m up there, I’ve had a quite a bit of success,” Ho-Sang said. “I think I’ve had more success up there than hardship. But they want what they want.”

Source

Fun Fact: Josh Ho-Sang played minor midget with Connor McDavid!

Ho-Sang is nearly a point-per-game player in the minors right now (4-8-12 in 15gp) and that’s more than what Draisaitl and Puljujarvi had when they were called up for good in Edmonton.

This is a player who is blessed with some ridiculous offensive talents but an attitude similar to that of Nazem Kadri when he was younger. I really think that if Peter Chiarelli acquired this kid and put him on Connor’s wing that he could be the kind of player the critics have been clamouring for since Eberle was dealt last summer.

He might be a bit too much flash for the conservative fans out there but there’s no doubt in my mind that JHS can be a successful NHLer if the right GM/Coach gives him a chance and you know it’s weird that he’s not getting any TOI under Weight. I’ve always thought that Weight would be a bit more lenient with young players like Ho-Sang.

What would piss people off about a player like Ho-Sang is that he doesn’t do a whole lot when he’s not directly involved in the play. So much like Eberle or Yakupov in year’s past, he knows one end of the rink VERY WELL and the other end he’s got an on/off again relationship with.

Last season for the Islanders he was a 52% CF player 5×5. This year that number has dropped to 47% in 22 games.

In 43 NHL games, Ho-Sang has 22 pts (6g 16a). He was drafted 28th overall in 2014 and is signed through next season for a shade under 900k.

The Islanders need help on the blue line due to the injuries to Johnny Boychuck and Calvin De Haan. They’re also 3-6-1 in their last ten and find themselves at the bottom of the Metro Division.

So how much would he cost?

I imagine that depends on how badly Garth Snow wants to get rid of him, if at all. The Islanders are struggling on D right now, so I’d offer Matt Benning and Anton Slepyshev (especially if Slepyshev goes through waivers unclaimed because that’ll mean that the Isles can send him to their minor league club right away without him having to go through waivers again.)

I’d also offer Pat Maroon straight across but depending on the deal and how big it could get, Brock Nelson is apparently entering the trade market now. That’s a big centre (6’3″ 205lbs) who only makes $2.5M a year. He’s an RFA at the end of this year and he’s been good for at least 35 pts per year as of recent. Why not expand the deal and include him?

I know that’d be selling low on a couple of players that are going through a tough season but JHS is struggling too, same with Nelson. IF Edmonton could get their hands on both players it would allow them to straight up stack the top-6, no?

RNH-McDavid-JHS
Lucic-Draisaitl-Puljujarvi
Khaira-Nelson-Strome
Caggiula-Letestu-Kassian

Ho-Sang wouldn’t help the PK mind you but the PP he’d surely be of use on. I wonder if Nelson would be a serviceable PKer?

What would you offer the Islanders to get Josh Ho-Sang off of their hands knowing that you HAVE to win this trade? Would you want Brock Nelson too? Let us know in the comments below!