The Islanders trimmed their roster again Saturday, and the biggest name on the list was Pierre Engvall.
New York placed Engvall on waivers for the purpose of assignment to the Hamilton Hammers after he spent training camp trying to fight his way back into the lineup. Engvall missed all of last season because of injury, and he did score the Islanders’ lone goal in Friday night’s 6-1 preseason loss to the New York Rangers at UBS Arena.
That wasn’t enough to keep him with the NHL club. If he clears waivers, the Islanders plan to send him to Hamilton.
Mitchell Chaffee, Liam Foudy, Daylan Kuefler and Matt Luff were also placed on waivers with the intent of sending them to Hamilton. Alex Jefferies, Josh Kotai, Daniil Prokhorov and Marshall Warren were assigned to the Hammers, and Matthew Highmore was sent to the AHL affiliate as well.
But the more interesting part of the day may have been who stayed put.
Cole Eiserman, Victor Eklund and Kashawn Aitcheson all remained with the Islanders as coach Pete DeBoer and general manager Mathieu Darche continue sorting through their options before the regular season. The trio is still very much in the mix, and keeping them around through Saturday’s cuts signals they’ve made a real impression in camp.
Eklund looks to have the cleanest path to an NHL job. The 19-year-old has stood out in rookie camp and training camp, and Mathew Barzal’s injury is expected to delay his start to the regular season. That opens the door for another forward, and Eklund hasn’t done much to close it.
Eiserman and Aitcheson are still part of the conversation too, though staying through this round of cuts does not guarantee either one opens the season in the NHL.
The Islanders still have more calls to make. But after Saturday, the group is smaller, and three of their most intriguing young players are still in the middle of it.
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The milestone would arrive early in the season if he stays in the lineup, giving Cizikas a chance to hit it while still doing the kind of work the Islanders have always asked of him. For a player who has built his career on consistency and team-first responsibility, the personal marker is nice, but the bigger question is how much he can still help shape the Islanders' success once the puck drops for real. [Read more 🡒]