Pierre Engvall is still in transition after trade to Islanders
The first trade of Bo Horvat’s career came right at the start of the All-Star break, giving him seven days to start connecting with his new Islanders teammates and coaches and generally come to grips with not being a Vancouver Canuck after eight-plus seasons.
Pierre Engvall’s experience after the first trade of his career was much more common, a.k.a. rushed. Acquired from the Maple Leafs on Feb. 28, he flew cross-country from Seattle to join his new teammates, though he actually had two practices with the Islanders before playing a game.
Circumstances can affect post-trade transitions.
“Anytime you get traded, it doesn’t matter who you are, it’s like, ‘Whoa,’” coach Lane Lambert said.
Saturday night against the Capitals at UBS Arena marked Engvall’s fourth game with the Islanders and he was still looking for his first point with his new team after being dropped to the fourth line from Horvat’s top line.
Horvat had three goals and an assist in his first four games with the Islanders.
“For me, it was honestly just getting to know the systems,” said Horvat, who also agreed to an eight-year, $68 million extension before playing his first game with the Islanders. “I think everything else falls into place after that. Once I kind of figured out people’s tendencies and our system as a whole — how we want to play every single night — it just makes my job easier.
“The Islander way kind of fits right into my game a little bit because I was a 200-foot player. I take pride in taking care of both ends. It wasn’t too bad of a transition.”
The Maple Leafs, though, play a vastly different brand of hockey, giving the slick-skating Engvall plenty to learn as he integrates into the Islanders’ system.
“He’s coming from Toronto where they’re kind of run-and-gun and a high-octane offense,” Horvat said. “I think we play a little bit more defensive here so it’s going to take some time for him to adjust to that. He’s going to be fine, though.”
“It’s a little bit more straightforward here,” said Engvall, an impending unrestricted free agent. “I advance the puck forward more all the time. I think Toronto was more we’d make those small plays a little bit more. Coming out of the defensive zone we would try to find the middle, try to find the weak side. Here it’s more straightforward. That’s the big difference.”
At the same time, Engvall figures Islanders president/general manager Lou Lamoriello sent a third-round pick in 2024 to the Maple Leafs because he liked what he saw in Engvall’s game and wanted that for the Islanders’ lineup.
“Especially coming late in the season, just adapt fast to the way we play here,” Engvall said. “[But] just play your game the way you did before because that’s probably why they traded for me. I think that’s the key.”
Still, Engvall’s ice time was limited in the Islanders’ two previous games. He logged 17:26 in his Islanders’ debut, a 4-1 win over the visiting Red Wings on March 4, but that dipped to 12:24 in a 3-2 win over the visiting Sabres three days later. Engvall was on the ice for just 8:23 in Thursday’s night’s 4-3 overtime win in Pittsburgh, getting just two shifts apiece in the third and third periods.
Lamoriello touted Engvall’s speed and versatility when the trade was made and Lambert has also praised the 6-5, 219-pound Engvall’s skating ability even while dropping him in the lineup.
“I like his speed and we’ll see what happens from there,” Lambert said. “I’ve changed things around quite a bit lately.”
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
