Otto Koivula spent one summer training with countryman Kaapo Kakko, the Finnish sensation drafted second overall by the Rangers and expected to make an immediate impact on Broadway.
“I hope I will be here, too,” the Islanders’ forward said at last week’s prospect development camp when asked about Kakko’s presence in New York.
The Islanders were silent again on Wednesday after the free agent market opened on Monday with them re-signing captain Anders Lee to a seven-year, $49-million deal and importing free agent goalie Semyon Varlamov from the Avalanche on a four-year, $20-million deal.