Today, the New York Islanders acquired Forward Pierre Engvall from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a third round draft selection in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Engvall is 26 years old, is 6’5 and is from Ljungby, Sweden. The Toronto Maple Leafs selected him in the 7th Round in 2014 and has been apart of the organization since 2016. He had 35 points in 78 games last year and currently has 21 points in 58 games this season.
Engvall can immediately step into the Islanders forward group in their bottom six as his specific play style complements really well next to Zach Parise and Jean-Gabriel Pageau.
Despite being 6’5, Pierre Engvall is a very speedy winger who uses his long reach with his stick to his advantage and also is a good forechecker and a good penalty killer.
Another pro for this trade for the Islanders is that Pierre can play all three forward positions, that being Left Wing, Right Wing, and Center which is very valuable for any team.
One thing that Engvall needs to work on in the rest of this season is using his big frame to his advantage. In his past seasons with Toronto, he rarely used a physical side to his game and is definitely something he can use to his advantage with the size that he is.
Another thing that Engvall does that should be corrected and improved in his game is that he gives away the puck way too much, giving the other team an opportunity to score.
The Islanders have been in a transitional period in terms of the kind of team they are trying to build. In the past year, they have been acquiring players that are fast and more skillful. Therefore, I can see why Lou Lamoriello and Co. acquired Pierre Engvall. His play style of being fast and skillful fits perfectly for what they are trying to build.
Pierre Engvall is owed 2.25 million by the Islanders at the end of the year and is eligible to hit free agency as a unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. If he has a good impression on management, I can easily see Pierre getting extended to keep him as an Islander at the end of the year for 2-4 years.
The Islanders next game is Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings at 12:30 PM at UBS Arena.