NY Islanders Plus/Minus for 2023-24: Pierre Engvall set to prove his worth seven years

MINUS

Engvall might have tremendous size, but he doesn't provide any physicality. Not only does he fail to lay the body at opportune times, he seems to stray away from it. Engvall has had plenty of opportunities to lay the lumber along the boards but will typically stop and throw his stick into the opponent's attempting to jar the puck loose.

It may not be required of him, but if Engvall would throw hits even 25% more, he'd bring a different element to the Islanders top two lines (if that's where he winds up playing). Alongside Nelson and Palmieri, there isn't much physicality. Nelson and Palmieri are more skilled than Engvall and don't possess the same type of size. Some occasional body checks could clear up more space for the line to operate, resulting in more goals.

Engvall has never been much of a pointsuccessful producer, as his most successfull season came in 2021-22, finishing the year with 35 points. A change of scenery may have been what he needed, but it's yet to be seen if he can do so on a night-to-night basis throughout an entire season. A seven-year contract is a lot of term to give to a player who doesn't light the lamp often, so it's still to be determined how his deal plays out over the next few seasons.