The New York Islanders’ acquisition of Pierre Engvall was a strange trade at the time. The team had already made a big splash in acquiring Bo Horvat, and Engvall was not on anyone’s radar as a trade target. With the Toronto Maple Leafs needing to shed cap, he was shipped to the Islanders for a third-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. After scoring five goals in just 18 games with the Islanders on a 16.1 shooting percentage, he was extended to a seven-year, $3 million average annual value (AAV) contract that contains a 16-team no-trade list. With that much term being handed out to a career bottom-six winger, fans expected him to come in and have an immediate impact. And well, he has, but he is not getting credit for it.
Deep Dive Into Engvall’s Game
Purely analyzing box scores, Engvall has struggled. Scoring just five goals and 14 points in 42 games this season, it would appear that he has struggled to get going offensively. This even led to former head coach Lane Lambert healthy scratching him on multiple occasions. While those are disappointing numbers from the team’s second-line left wing, his positive impact has gone unnoticed.
Engvall has nine expected goals this season in addition to his line, consisting of himself, Brock Nelson, and Kyle Palmieri, sitting fifth in expected goals share (xG%) of all lines with over 350 minutes together at 54.1 percent. While these are just analytics, and the team wants production, these numbers point to Engvall having a strong second half. With Nelson, 21 goals and 38 points, and Palmieri, 11 goals and 25 points, having strong campaigns this season, Engvall is doing something right, and his point production is bound to go up.
The argument of players being unlucky has been recited by hockey fans about their favorite players, but that sentiment resonates with Engvall. Along with the analytics, the eye test shows he is playing well. His speed remains, and his presence in the neutral zone cannot be understated. He is one of the team’s best players at doing the hard, dirty work on the boards as he finds ways to get his stick on the puck, frequently winning those key puck battles that help Nelson and Palmieri establish possession in the offensive zone. While he will never be the glamorous 30-goal winger the team may want out of its top forwards, Engvall has excelled in a top-six role for the first time in his career.
As head coach Patrick Roy learns more about the roster, it will be interesting to see if Engvall remains in a top-six role. Skaters such as Simon Holmstrom, Oliver Wahlstrom, and Julien Gauthier are candidates who could get hot at any moment, impressing the new coach to earn elevated roles. As well, Bridgeport Islanders’ All-Star Ruslan Iskhakov has been one of the team’s few bright spots this season, earning a potential call-up. His speed and play style are reminiscent of Engvall’s and he could slide in well to add some offense to the second line.
Only time will tell how Engvall’s second half will shape out, but the team would be naive to use his performance thus far as a cause to demote him. An acquisition at this year’s trade deadline could be in the cards, but general manager Lou Lamoriello is more likely to help the team’s defense, helping star goaltender Ilya Sorokin get back to his Vezina Trophy-finalist self. As we approach that March 8 deadline, fans will lay restless in anticipation of a trade, if any.
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