Patrick Roy provided a blunt assessment of NY Islanders F Pierre Engvall

By now, we can state confidently that the only consistent thing about New York Islanders forward Pierre Engvall's game is that it will befuddle, perplex, and frustrate management, coaching staff, and fanbases.

Engvall was a healthy scratch on Saturday night versus the Buffalo Sabres, an all too familiar occurrence throughout his NHL career that has routinely been a case of two steps forward and two steps back. For every glimpse of potential and flash of skill that makes you think he's ready to assert himself as an impactful player, he follows it up with a head-scratching blasé performance.

Multiple coaches have tried to get through to Engvall to no avail, and that it was one of the reasons why pundits questioned GM Lou Lamoriello's decision to hand out a seven-year commitment to a player that had yet to show a commitment to his game that warranted that type of trust.

The Islanders already served up one "wake-up call" this season when Engvall was waived and sent to Bridgeport to start the season. He would likely still be there if it wasn't for injuries to Mathew Barzal and Anthony Duclair. After struggling to find his footing in his first games back, Engvall had appeared to turn a corner with goals in three straight games, all of which were a result of heeding head coach Patrick Roy's advice of using his speed and size to skate north and south and toward the net.

However, Engvall has fallen back into habits that the coach doesn't view fondly, resulting in him watching from the press box yet again and Roy offering a blunt assessment of his game before face-off. “When he plays his best, he goes to the net like he did before," Roy said of Engvall. "When he plays on the outside, I'm not as crazy about him. Hopefully this will send the message. There's a player we want, and that's a guy who's around the net. He brings so much speed and so much skill, there's no reason for him to not be able to do that."

Securing a spot back in the lineup for the long haul won't be easy for Engvall. In addition to Barzal and Duclair being due back, Hudson Fasching is healthy and plays a simple, reliable game that Roy appreciates. It'll be challenging for Engvall to make the case why he is a better option that Fasching, Matt Martin or even Oliver Wahlstrom if he continues to implement Roy's guidance inconsistently.