Pierre Engvall Analysis Through 3 Games with Islanders

New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello needed to bring in NHL depth before the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline came and went with so many forwards out injured. He went out and acquired someone he was familiar with, in 26-year-old, six-foot-five speedster Pierre Engvall from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 2024 third-round selection.

Not known for his offense nor his physicality, Engvall is a player known for his speed and his penalty-kill ability.

But so far, through three games with the Islanders, not only has Engvall struggled to fit in, but Islanders head coach Lane Lambert has struggled to find the best spot for him in the lineup.

Given his speed, Lambert used him initially with Bo Horvat and Anders Lee.

In his Islanders debut, he showed well in 17:26 minutes, a season-high, in a 4-1 rout of the Detroit Red Wings, with two shots and three individual scoring chances.

It was a positive sign that Engvall could be a big piece for this team going forward.

READ MORE: What Will Lines Look Like When…?

Although Engvall wasn’t bad in the Islanders’ 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres, his second game in blue and orange, he was on the ice for both goals against and when push came to shove, Lambert elected to take him out of the rotation for the final 15:01 of the game.

“He’s new here. It’s a different adjustment,” Lambert said. “There’s an adjustment to systems and things like that. He’s fine. He’ll be fine.

“We went with guys that were a little bit more used to what we were doing and will continue to work with that, and Pierre will be fine.”

Engvall finished that game with just 12:24 minutes, with a couple of scoring chances and a shot.

After Thursday’s morning skate, NYI Hockey Now spoke with Engvall about what had transpired.

“I didn’t know (why) right away but we talked after, just things to work on and things to think about,” Engvall said.

When asked about how he felt he had been playing:  “I felt okay. We’ve got some chances […] Just got to stick with it and keep doing your best.”

Then later that night, a game in which the Islanders looked incredibly lost for three-fourths of the game, Engvall was on the ice for the Pittsburgh Penguins equalizer early in the first period and sat on the bench for 18:51 in the middle frame, from 19:10-0:19.

He then took a few shifts in the third period, sitting for 13:15 minutes, from 19:30-5:45 before the Islanders came back.

“You know what, we’re doing pretty good here,” Lambert said following the win over Pittsburgh. “Pierre, you know, he’s new, he’s coming in, and he’s going to be a big part of our hockey team.

“So, I wouldn’t look too deeply into it.”

Engvall played 8:23, with no shots and a hit, drawing one penalty.

In an average of 12:44 minutes with New York, Engvall has three shots, three giveaways, one takeaway, and five scoring chances, with the Islanders being outshot 23-20, and outscored 3-0 when he’s been on the ice, per NaturalStatrick.com.

He’s made some questionable decisions with the puck, forcing some passes that just were not there, and has shown to be more of a bottom-six player.

Right now the Islanders are having success when they keep things simple. So if Pierre Engvall is going to stick in the lineup, especially when players that know the system start returning from injury, he’s going to have to get a grip on the system soon, or he may be the odd man out with the Islanders having little to no room for error.

Islanders Mailbag: What Will Lines Look Like When…?