Engvall Dives Right In for Isles

It's been a hectic week in the NHL, with plenty of action ahead of Friday's trade deadline. That goes double for the players at the center of the action, like Pierre Engvall, who was acquired by the New York Islanders on Tuesday and immediately jetted to Long Island to support his new team in the playoff race.
"It's definitely strange to jump on a plane right away, but it feels really good to be here," Engvall said. "The whole team reached out as soon as I got traded. I'm really excited to get going."

Engvall was acquired by the Islanders from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a third-round pick in 2024. The 26-year-old forward hit the ice on Thursday morning to partake in his first practice with his new team, taking line rushes with Anders Lee and Bo Horvat.
"He's got good size and skates well," Head Coach Lane Lambert said of the 6'5, 219 lbs. winger on Thursday morning. "With any player that comes in, it's his first day on the ice getting acclimatized to the complete environment, I thought he did well."
"He came in with a great attitude and has a good work ethic," Lee said of Engvall. "He made a difference on the team he was with before, so we're really lucky to have him."

Engvall has some experience playing against the Islanders in his NHL career, scoring three goals and taking 16 shots across six meetings against the Isles in his career. He displayed the ability to convert in big moments, as two of his goals against New York held up as game-winners.
"He's always tough to play against throughout the years here and works extremely hard," Lee said of Engvall as an opponent. "He's very versatile and can play up and down the lineup. He's just one of those guys who is going you give you his best every night."
Engvall played with the Leafs for parts of four seasons following his NHL debut in 2019-20. He put up 83 points (42G, 41A) through 226 games with the organization, reaching career-high in goals (15) assists (20) and points (35) last season.
"I just kept playing my game every year and I established myself," Engvall said of his development. "It feels really good to come to [the Islanders] and get this opportunity."

The new acquisition is expected to bring forward depth and speed to a team holding onto the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. President and General Manager Lou Lamoriello spoke about how Engvall's attributes can help the Islanders in the remaining 18 games of the regular season.
"Pierre is a very versatile player," Lamoriello said on Tuesday. "He'll bring a dimension that he can play any one of the forward positions. Probably his biggest asset is his skating ability. He's got a long reach being 6'5, 220 lbs."
Through 58 games played with the Toronto Maple Leafs this season, the 26-year-old forward picked up 21 points (12G, 9A), but Evgvall's standout quality is his speed.
"From what I've seen before watching him on TV, he has tremendous speed," Horvat said. "He's the type of guy who can make it hard on defenders with his speed."
Horvat, who is the Islanders' second newest acquisition, can relate to the feeling of moving to a new city to play for a new team during the height of the season.
ISLES ACQUIRE ENGVALL
ISLANDERS ARTICLES
Isles Acquire Engvall
7 Facts: Pierre Engvall
Engvall Adds Forward Depth
Engvall to Wear 18
"It's nice not being the newest guy," Horvat said with a laugh. "He's going to fit in great here. I'm looking forward to getting to know him better."
Although Engvall doesn't have a slew of prior connections with players on the Islanders, the Ljungby, SWE native has a few interesting ties. He played on the same team with Sebastian Aho for the World U-17 Hockey Challenge in 2013, representing Sweden in the international competition and earning gold.
While playing in the Swedish Hockey League, Engvall had a brief stint with Simon Holmstrom, who is a Tranas, SWE native. Engvall played for HV71 in the SHL, while Holmstrom played for the junior team. However, Holmstrom was called up for a game and remembers a couple of practices and ice time with Engvall.
"We played on the same team before, I've met him a couple of times," Holmstrom recalls. "He's a very cool and collected guy."
Engvall has a couple days to adjust to his new team and get settled on Long Island ahead of Saturday's matchup against the Detroit Red Wings, who are among teams in the hunt for a wild card spot in the tight standings of the Eastern Conference.
"There's no question that it gives him an opportunity to come in and get comfortable before he has to play a game," Lambert said. "That's a good thing."
"He'll bring plenty of jump and good grit and skill," Lee said. "I'm excited to see him play and get to know him."