Islanders Milestone Watch: Pierre Engvall
Buried on a top-heavy Toronto Maple Leafs roster for almost four years, Pierre Engvall flourished once he arrived on Long Island. As he gears up for his first full season with the New York Islanders, here's a list of his upcoming milestones.
Buried on a top-heavy Toronto Maple Leafs roster for almost four years, Pierre Engvall flourished once he arrived on Long Island.
In 18 games for the New York Islanders, the Swedish forward potted five goals and four assists, a 22-goal, 18-assist pace.
It wasn't smooth sailing out of the gate for Engvall, who took a few games to get going, but once head coach Lane Lambert slotted him in alongside Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri in the third period against the Los Angeles Kings back on March 15, the rest was history.
"He's a good player. Since he's come over, I think you look, and you saw bits and pieces and flashes of his speed, and how well he protects the puck and, when he gets in open areas, he knows how to finish," Palmieri said after his first full game with Engvall against the Anaheim Ducks. "But I think he's settling in and kind of getting to know the system."
That threesome would become dynamite, outscoring their opponents 15-4 in 14 games together to get the Islanders into the 2023 Stanely Cup Playoffs.
Their success continued in the postseason, potting five goals in six games while allowing two against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Points aside, Engvall brings an element that the Islanders lacked -- speed -- especially with Mathew Barzal out of the lineup.
Engvall's speed helped the Islanders' lackluster transition game.
That skill set, mixed with the overall success of his line, is why the Islanders felt comfortable committing to Engvall long-term, inking to a seven-year extension worth $21 million on July 1st.
"I think I played good hockey, and I think I can develop even more and then get even better still, so hopefully, the best is yet to come," Engvall said following the season.
Because Engvall is about to kick off his fifth NHL season and first full season in blue and orange, the milestones aren't extremely high marks but still marks to be proud of.
With 244 NHL games under his belt, a healthy season would mean Engvall will surpass the 300-game mark, as he is just 56 away.
In the goals department, three more will have him at 50 for his career, while he sits five apples away from 50 career assists and just eight points away from 100.
Although Engvall is a unit on the ice, standing at six-foot-five and weighing 219 pounds, hitting isn't his forté. However, the 27-year-old sits 15 hits shy of 200 career hits and will reach that as he's broken 20 hits in each of the previous two seasons.
An Islanders career stemming just 18 games, Engvall's next point for New York will be his 10th in blue and orange.
For a player taken in the seventh round, stick taps to Engvall for not just making it to the NHL but sticking.
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