Is Pierre Engvall battling for a spot in the Islanders' lineup?
New York Islanders' Pierre Engvall, left, and Philadelphia Flyers' Emil Andrae battle for the puck during a preseason game last Thursday. Credit: AP/Matt Slocum
Pierre Engvall’s lineup absence wouldn’t have been as noteworthy except pretty much everyone else who is expected to dress for the Islanders’ season-opener will play in Monday night’s preseason game against the Flyers at UBS Arena.
Instead, Engvall skated with the non-game group in the morning as Julien Gauthier, on Casey Cizikas’ fourth line with Kyle MacLean, was in the lineup for the third straight game and fourth time in five preseason matches
“There’s no reason,” coach Patrick Roy said. “We’re just trying different guys. We want to see how the guys are going to play it out. We’re still in training camp.”
Except that Engvall is entering the second season of a seven-year, $21 million deal and was presumed to have a spot in the top 12 coming into camp. And Roy did mention Engvall was a minus-5 in his two preseason games.
Plus, Engvall was a healthy scratch three times last season, once under Roy and twice under predecessor Lane Lambert.
“Of course you want to play all the games,” said Engvall, who had 10 goals and 18 assists in 74 games last season, mainly either on Brock Nelson’s second line or Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s third line. “I’m not playing today but I got a good skate and a good workout and I’m ready for the next one.”
The Islanders conclude their preseason against the visiting Rangers on Friday night before opening the regular season hosting Utah on Oct. 10.
Gauthier, the ex-Ranger who started last season with the Islanders before being re-assigned to their AHL affiliate in Bridgeport, is pushing for playing time. So is Hudson Fasching, who remains day to day with a lower-body injury but did skate on Monday. Maxim Tsyplakov skated with Nelson and Kyle Palmieri on Monday and likely will be in the opening-night lineup. The same is true for Simon Holmstrom, who was on Pageau’s right wing along with Anders Lee against the Flyers.
Former first-round pick Oliver Wahlstrom also is looking to retain his NHL job.
So Engvall responded with the obvious answer when asked whether he thought he was fighting to be in the opening-night lineup.
“Yeah,” said Engvall, without a point in his two preseason games. “I think everyone is fighting really hard to be in the lineup. Some players are more certain. For me, from Day 1 I’ve just been trying to do my best. Unfortunately, some of the games I played, I had a couple of minuses.”
Meanwhile, Gauthier, who had five goals and four assists in 27 games for the Islanders last season, senses a chance to win a starting spot. He enters Monday’s game with a goal and a plus-3 in the preseason.
“I think so,” Gauthier said. “They’ve been giving me some trust just by showing I can be in the lineup tonight so I’ve just got to make the most of it. If it keeps going well like that, I don’t see why not.”
Notes & quotes: Defenseman Ryan Pulock (illness) will not dress for the game…Marcus Hogberg and Jakub Skarek are the goalies with Semyon Varlamov being rested…Roy, unprompted, mentioned on Sunday he chatted with top-line left wing Anthony Duclair about the “non-negotiables” of backchecking and skating hard to the bench. Duclair signed a four-year, $14 million deal and has played for Roy in junior hockey. “It was a pretty positive meeting,” Duclair said Monday. “Just saying I’m having a good camp, moving my feet, creating some chances with my linemates. Me and Pat have always been an open book.”
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.
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