Breaking Down What Pierre Engvall Can Bring to NY Islanders Next Season

What will Pierre Engvall bring to the table for the New York Islanders next season?

Apr 8, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; New York Islanders left wing Pierre Engvall (18) skates with the puck against the Nashville Predators during the second period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Islanders are getting set for the upcoming season, and they will have a lot of moving parts and lineup decisions to make heading into the season. 

After a year in which the Islanders just missed making the playoffs, hopes were high that the team might look to make a splash or two this summer. With the offseason mostly slowing down now, that appears to be highly unlikely for New York. 

So far this summer, the Islanders have been very careful with where their money has been spent and have also been mindful of not giving veterans long-term deals. 

With the goal of having about $40 million in cap space next summer, New York was one of the least improved teams in the league this summer. Now, while they didn’t make major additions, they will be hoping that some returning players can help improve the team. 

One of those players is Pierre Engvall, who missed the entire 2025-26 campaign with two surgeries. However, what he will be able to provide is a bit uncertain. 

What Will Engvall Provide?

Apr 12, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Islanders left wing Pierre Engvall (18) controls the puck against the Philadelphia Flyers in the third period at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As the Islanders start to prepare for next season, they will be getting a few players back who missed either the entire campaign in 2025-26 or a majority of it. 

Engvall is one of those players, with the veteran forward having hip and ankle surgeries. Missing an entire year for the forward certainly wasn’t ideal, but the expectation is that he will be back and healthy this coming season. 

However, with a new coach taking over in Peter DeBoer, where Engvall fits in the lineup will be interesting. The Islanders have a lot of depth at forward, and there is going to be someone noteworthy who will be the odd man out. 

While he was bothered by the hip in the 2024-25 campaign, he was able to record 28 points on 10 goals and 18 assists when healthy during the 2023-24 campaign. 

That will be the player that the Islanders will be hoping to have in camp. Considering he has four more years on his contract at $3 million per season, this would be a challenging contract to move, even with the salary cap on the rise. 

Overall, with an undefined role currently, Engvall will be a player to keep an eye on when camp arrives. The 30-year-old can be a productive player for New York, but competition could be stiff at forward for playing time.