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| Credit: Zimbio |
Position: Defense
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 223 lbs
Birthdate: May 19th, 1988 (23 years old)
Birthplace: Belleville, Ontario, Canada
Acquired: Trade with Tampa Bay Lightning, 2011
2010-2011 Teams: Norfolk Admirals/Bridgeport Sound Tigers/New York Islanders
2010-2011 Stats (NOR): 31 GP - 4 G - 14 A - 18 P - 33 PIM
2010-2011 Stats (BPT): 20 GP - 0 G - 9 A - 9 P - 8 PIM
2010-2011 Stats (NYI): 20 GP - 1 G - 4 A - 5 P - 10 PIM
2011-2012 Team: New York Islanders
Last year: The 2010-11 season was a whirlwind for the third year pro defenseman. He started off in the Tampa Bay Lightning organization, playing for their AHL affiliate Norfolk. He put together a really solid first half campaign, averaging over .5 PPG and had a good plus-minus rating. Wishart was traded to the New York Islanders around New Year's Day for goaltender Dwayne Roloson. After playing a handful of games for the Isles' AHL affiliate in Bridgeport, Wishart was finally called up after the Isles were continually decimated by injuries. In his 20 games for the Isles, the rookie was somewhat inconsistent - playing a handful of solid games and a handful of tough ones as well. Wishart was rewarded with a qualifying offer (which he accepted) after the season, giving him another year to prove himself as a potential roster player in the Islanders future.
Expectations: Wishart will start training camp as a candidate for the 6th defenseman on the Isles NHL team. With Mark Streit, Andrew MacDonald, Travis Hamonic, Mark Eaton, and Milan Jurcina locking up the top 5 spots, Wishart will be in competition with Mike Mottau and Steve Staios to prove he belongs in the starting lineup. No matter how the training camp battle shakes out, expect Wishart to stay with the big club all season as the Isles will not want to expose him to waivers. Because of that, he is sure to play a lot of games for the team this season.
Projections: GP 43 - 2 G - 9 A - 11 P - 18 PIM
Thoughts:
CH: Wishart is a big, mobile defenseman who has all the tools to be a successful 2nd-3rd pairing defenseman in the NHL. The issue is that he does not prefer to engage with his body, either in the corners or in front of the net. The Isles site has Wishart putting on a decent amount of weight this year, which makes me hopeful they he will be more willing to mix it up when the time calls for it. Either way, I expect Wishart to get a decent amount of games in for the team here. The Isles will undoubtedly have injuries this year, and having guys like Wishart, Mottau, and potentially Staios could be good enough stopgaps. All the Isles really need from Wishart is for him to develop into his body, play some solid defense, and grow more as an NHL player. If he does that, it will certainly be a successful season.
AT: After a slow start, Wishart really picked it up by the end of the year and began playing a very solid defensive game. Hopefully with the added weight onto his body he will begin to be more confident in his physical abilities, although something like that is difficult to teach. With Pedan, Mayfield, Wishart and Jurcina all either on the team or in the system, the Islanders have gotten back their size on defense that they so desperately needed. Being who the Islanders received in exchange for fan favorite Dwayne Roloson, Wishart is going to need to put up a good season this year. He's still young, but he's become a bit of a project. Either way, he should have a decent amount of time in the NHL this year if our track record continues as is concerning injuries, so now's a great time for him to prove himself.
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