Pierre Engvall’s Plus Side Is Too Good to Pass Up for the NY Islanders

Pierre Engvall is a classic case of a late-round steal. The New York Islanders forward was a seventh-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2014. Given the Leafs' lack of success with draft picks, Pierre Engvall was a pleasant surprise for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

However, Engvall’s path to the NHL wasn’t all that easy.

I recall the speculation regarding Engvall’s potential call-up with Toronto. While his opportunities were limited under Mike Babcock, the promotion of Sheldon Keefe to the big club opened the door for Engvall. In fact, Engvall was promoted alongside Keefe from the Toronto Marlies to the Maple Leafs.

Engvall’s impact was almost immediate. Engvall got into 48 games with the Maple Leafs in 2020, scoring 15 points. After 35 points in 78 games in 2021-22, it seemed as though Engvall was poised to become a fixture in Toronto.

However, Toronto’s cap problems become the New York Islanders’ gain. The Leafs moved Engvall to the Island amid a cap crunch. Fast forward to 2024, and Engvall’s tenure with the Isles looks to deliver on the promise shown in Toronto back in 2020.

So, let’s take a deeper look into why Pierre Engvall’s plus side is just too good for the New York Islanders to pass up.

The New York Islanders Cannot Pass Up on Pierre Engvall’s Plus Side

PLUS

Questions emerged when the New York Islanders signed Pierre Engvall to a seven-year, $21 million contract extension in 2023.

In particular, questions emerged about signing Engvall to such a long contract given his apparent lack of production and results.

But there’s one thing many analysts don’t get about Engvall: His value doesn’t lie in scoring 40 goals a season. Engvall is one of the league’s best-rounded players. He doesn’t make silly mistakes, costly turnovers, or suffer from defensive lapses.

The reason why the New York Islanders traded for Engvall was because Lou Lamoriello drafted him during this tenure in Toronto. Lamoriello, savvy as he is, saw an opportunity to pluck a highly productive player from Toronto amid his old club’s cap crunch.

Engvall’s speed, hockey smarts, and overall work ethic make him the type of player that any team would love to have. Moreover, Engvall has the potential to become one of the league’s best defensive forwards. Under Patrick Roy, Engvall could become like Guy Carbonneau, an elite defensive forward Roy knows very well.

It’s also worth pointing out that Engvall still possesses the ability to score 20 goals. If he can do that, the Isles will be extremely lucky to have that sort of production from the bottom six.

Now, I wouldn’t rule out Engvall eventually getting another crack at the top six. In my estimation, Engvall could be a good complement to Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri, especially if Maxim Tsyplakov has trouble adjusting to the North American game.

On the whole, Engvall’s pluses are too good to pass up. It’s hard to overlook how much Engvall contributes to the club. His contributions go beyond putting the puck in the back of the net. Engvall’s value is based on his all-around game.