Pierre Engvall’s path back into the Islanders’ picture is murky right now, but it is not closed.
After missing all of last season because of an ankle injury that required surgery, Engvall is expected to be healthy for the upcoming season. That alone gives him a shot at re-entering the conversation after a long stretch in which he had fallen out of favor on Long Island. His seven-year extension, which once looked questionable, has not aged well.
The problem is simple: the Islanders have added enough bodies that there may not be a clean opening for him. Matias Maccelli is new to the mix and should get every chance to make an impact. Simon Holmstrom, Ondrej Palat, and Anthony Duclair are also still around, which makes the bottom six crowded and leaves little room for Engvall to force his way in.
Even so, Engvall still brings a profile the Islanders have valued before. His game is built around speed and dependable defense, and even when the scoring has not followed, that package has had a place in the lineup. If the ankle injury hasn’t taken away that edge, he could still work as a penalty killer and matchup forward.
For now, though, the bigger question is whether he can do enough to matter beyond just being healthy.
The Islanders have four impending UFAs this season, with Kyle Palmieri the biggest name in that group. Palmieri missed most of the season with a torn knee ligament, and if he returns strong, the expectation is that the Islanders will try to re-sign him. That leaves Palat, Casey Cizikas, and Kyle MacLean as the other pending UFAs.
If one of those players departs and Engvall puts together a strong season, there is at least a route back to a regular role.
That is a lot of ifs, and Engvall has to clear two major hurdles first. He needs to prove the ankle is truly behind him, and he needs to earn ice time in a lineup where jobs will not be handed out. An injury elsewhere could open the door, but he will have to be ready when it does.
There is also a practical layer to this. With the cap rising and salary inflation changing the market, Engvall’s $3 million hit does not look as heavy as it once did. If the Islanders do not see him as a fit, and he shows something early, he could still become a tradeable piece.
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For DeBoer, the encouraging part is that neither problem feels permanent if the roster is right and the details sharpen up. He said quick turnarounds are possible in the NHL, and from the Islanders perspective that matters because last seasons miss was not framed as a talent shortage so much as a team that left too much on the table in the key moments that decide games. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Interest In Patrik Laine Says Plenty About Their Offseason
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For the Islanders, the fit is complicated by a forward group that already looks crowded, which makes any real pursuit harder to see. The Kings have been the other club most credibly linked, though even that remains murky, and the longer Laine stays on the market, the more this starts to feel like a test of patience as much as roster need. What remains unresolved is whether a team will eventually step up with more than a low-risk look and give him the kind of opportunity his track record suggests he can still justify. [Read more 🡒]