The New York Islanders placed eight players on waivers Sunday afternoon, but none more prominent than winger Pierre Engvall.
The veteran winger, acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs at the 2023 NHL trade deadline, scored five goals and four assists in 18 games before signing a seven-year deal prior to the start of the 2023-24 season.
Expected to make a legitimate push toward a first-career 20-goal season, the 28-year-old posted only half of that in 74 games last year to go with 18 assists.
He fell out of favor on multiple occasions with head coach Patrick Roy, who took over in January last season and was benched multiple times down the stretch of a campaign that ended in the first round of the playoffs for a second straight year against the Carolina Hurricanes.
In two games during the preseason, Engvall was a minus-5, prompting Roy to bench him once again. He spent much of the last week skating with the extras, further suggesting he was losing out on a lineup spot.
With six years left on his contract, Engvall is owed $18 million and has a 16-team no-trade list. He will report to the Islanders’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport if he clears.
