Josh Ho-Sang is Worth A Look For Vegas

This week, what might be one of the most drawn-out sagas in the NHL ended when the New York Islanders finally waived Josh Ho-Sang.

For those who may not know, Ho-Sang never seemed to really get his shot with the Islanders on a full-time basis. In limited NHL action with the Isles Ho-Sang was roughly a half-point-per-game player. In 53 NHL games spread across three seasons, Ho-Sang put up 7-17-24. Not bad numbers especially bouncing in and out of the lineup.

Now at 24, the Islanders have finally decided it’s time to part ways with Ho-Sang. The relationship dragged on a long time, and the Islanders seemed to like the idea of Ho-Sang but no idea how to actually apply him to the lineup. Now he’s free to find a deal of his own after clearing waivers.

The Vegas Golden Knights should call him.

One of the best parts about Ho-Sang’s game is that he has the potential to really pile up points. In the OHL he posted three straight 80+ point seasons. With the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers in 2018-19, he had 43 points in 56 games. And we’ve already talked about him basically being a half-point-per-game guy at the NHL level.

Christian Arnold at NYIHockeyNow.com has this to say about Ho-Sang:

“Josh Ho-Sang has a lot of offensive talent. He has speed, puck handling ability and can put the puck in the net in dazzling fashion. Under the right tutelage, Ho-Sang could finally prove to the NHL what he’s believed about himself since the Islanders drafted him in 2014. ”

Ho-Sang makes an interesting addition to the Golden Knights because he could potentially make a third line with Alex Tuch and Cody Glass incredibly dangerous. No disrespect to Nicholas Roy either, who could potentially make the same jump this season. Don’t forget that Roy is also capable of playing center if the need arises.

At this point you might be saying too many forwards spoil the stew. Normally I would agree with you – were we not in a pandemic. Dallas has pushed back the start of its season. The Columbus Blue Jackets have had to miss practice a few times and it won’t end there. We will see more teams hit by this. Ho-Sang could come at a manageable price enticed by the chance to make a really deep run on a talented team instead of being buried in the minors by the Islanders.

If he pans out and turns into a real playmaker at the NHL level, it would be an incredible bargain signing for the VGK. If he doesn’t quite pan out, it really doesn’t cost you much if anything at all. I predict that Ho-Sang will indeed become an impact player at this level with the right team. Vegas should look at every chance to make this team even more dangerous. This one doesn’t cost them anything but the time to pick up the phone.