The New York Islanders have recalled prospect Joshua Ho-Sang on an emergency basis.
Better late than never.
Arthur Staple of Newsday reported that forward Joshua Ho-Sang has been recalled on an emergency basis. He will join the Isles on their flight to Dallas tonight.
Ho-Sang, 21, has recorded 36 points (10-26-36) in 48 games for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers this season. He’s been en fuégo as of late, notching five goals and ten assists during the month of February.
It’s been a long time coming for the brash forward.
Here’s a synopsis: Ho-Sang was criticized for not making enough of an effort in his own zone and for taking dumb penalties before the draft; he famously said that he’d be the best player in his class within the next three years; Garth Snow defended him on national television, saying that ‘they sh– on me, too’; Ho-Sang overslept on the first day of training camp in 2015 and was sent home immediately; he claimed that he was a ‘changed man’ before his first professional season, but was then healthy scratched for coming late to the rink (…).
But here’s the unavoidable truth: Ho-Sang is one of the biggest talents in the world. He’s a natural dangler with absurd vision and tremendous play-making ability. He’s posted impressive numbers at every stop, and has his off-ice transgressions have dwindled as he’s matured.
There are three reasons why he would have been asked to join the team:
- There’s an injury, presumably to Andrew Ladd or Alan Quine, that has forced the Isles to look to Bridgeport for reinforcements. Bracken Kearns was nothing special during his recent callup, so Garth Snow decided to go with Ho-Sang.
- There’s a trade in the works, **hopefully** possibly with Matt Duchene involved, and the Isles need an extra forward to make up for the loss of one. Ho-Sang fits the bill, well, because he has the highest ceiling of anybody in Bridgeport.
- Garth Snow’s attempting to distract the fanbase from his upcoming no-show at the trade deadline. Who better to do it with than Ho-Sang, who will grab the headlines for as long as he laces up.
UPDATE:
Never mind.
Staple reports that Ho-Sang has been returned on loan to Bridgeport (emergency conditions not terminated), mere hours after his recall.
He expects Ho-Sang to be called up tomorrow once the dust has settled. He speculates that the reversal was due to either a returning injured player or a trade.
Captain John Tavares said that he was “excited to have him here.” Clearly, not everybody was.
