Pierre Engvall is entering Year Two of a seven-year contract with the New York Islanders. However, he won’t be starting the season in New York. The Isles placed the Swedish forward on waivers after losing his place in the lineup during the preseason. A lot of NHL media picked up on the move, including Chris Johnston:
Lou Lamoriello picked up Engvall from his former employer in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ahead of the 2023 trade deadline, the deal was completed for a 2024 third-round pick. At the time, it made sense considering the Isles needed forward depth during their playoff push. He did impress at times but also showed his warts on both sides of the ice. The contract he signed after the season, however, was not as sensical. The AAV was manageable at $3 million but on a term level no GM would touch. Regardless, he is still an NHL quality player. Check out JFresh’s insight when the deal was signed:
He moved up and down the lineup this past season. Most recently, Patrick Roy had him in a third-line role in their playoff series with Carolina. He showed some chemistry and solid play alongside JG Pageau and captain Anders Lee. However, that runway ran out during training camp this season. Lamoriello addressed the forward group over the Summer with the additions of Anthony Duclair and Maxim Tsyplakov. There was simply no room in the lineup for Engvall. His skill set does not translate to a bottom-six role, as he is limited physically. He is a big guy and smooth skater, but is not an effective player in the dirty areas. Check out this quote on Lou Lamoriello regarding the decision:
“I think that what happened, simplistically, is that he’s a top six, top nine forward, and Maxim Tsyplakov earned his way into that role, and basically, we have to make the best decisions for the best lineup we can put together,” Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello said on Sunday morning. “It’s as simple as that. It’s not that he did anything wrong, but he basically lost the job at this point. He is not a bottom-six player.” – Lou Lamoriello via Stefen Rosner, The Hockey News
What’s The Deal?
Of course, if injuries pile up, Engvall will return to the main team. However, assuming no one claims him, he will end up having to report in Bridgeport with the AHL team. Obviously we saw Barclay Goodrow get claimed off waivers so stranger things can happen. We’ve seen teams like Columbus not really show a direction in their rebuild. Could they end up claiming him or squeeze a pick out of Lou to take on his deal in a trade? The resounding likelihood is he clears waivers and the team can then bury some of his cap hit in order to fit in players like Oliver Wahlstrom. At 28, his deal won’t age terribly until it’s really starting to get into the later years.
A side note is that Patrick Roy is really beginning to have some influence with this team. With Lane Lambert previously, this would have never happened. His past relationship with Duclair definitely played a role in his signing with the Isles. And now, with a style of play in mind, he wants a roster with certain types of players in there. Engvall clearly does not fit that mold. Lots of spots were up for grabs this Summer so it’ll be an interesting season on the Island.
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