Pierre Engvall, Samuel Bolduc among NY Islanders to clear waivers on Monday

The 2:00 PM deadline came and went on Monday and Pierre Engvall and seven other New York Islanders went unclaimed, meaning they're likely on their way to Bridgeport to start the AHL season.

There was some question as to whether or not a team would claim the 28-year-old Engvall, who has a rare combination of size and speed that can be tantalizing for hockey executives. "You ask anyone who knows him; he is one of the most gifted athletes anybody has ever seen," said Eliotte Friedman on his 32 Thoughts Podcast on Monday. "He just looks like a great athlete. This is their (the Islanders) way of shocking him."

Engvall had ten goals and 18 assists in 74 games last season for the Islanders after signing a seven-year $21M contract in the off-season. As he has done throughout his career, the winger showed flashes of being a top-six forward but also found himself as a healthy scratch on multiple occasions after making poor decisions and having questionable efforts. In 92 overall games with the Islanders, he has scored 15 goals and added 22 assists.

GM Lou Lamoriello explained on Sunday that Engvall was beat out for a spot on the second line by newcomber Maxim Tsyplakov during camp. That left only a bottom-six, and really only a fourth-line spot for Engvall and the team elected to go with former first-rounder Oliver Wahlstrom to start the season alongside Kyle MacLean and Casey Cizikas. Speedy Julien Gauthier, in his second year with the team, is expected to the extra forward.

Also going unclaimed is 23-year-old defenseman Samuel Bolduc, who started last year as the team's seventh defenseman. Also headed to Bridgeport is reliable stay-at-home defenseman Grant Hutton, along with forwards Hudson Fasching, Liam Foudy, and Fredrik Karlström. Goaltenders Marcus Hogberg and Jakub Skarek also cleared.