About 15 months ago, Lou Lamoriello signed Pierre Engvall to a seven-year contract. Engvall was waived by the New York Islanders on Sunday, clearly headed for AHL Bridgeport — that contract making this the only move the Islanders could make after KHL import Maxim Tsyplakov and former Isles first-round pick Oliver Wahlstrom grabbed the last two available forward spots.
Lamoriello on Sunday said Engvall was one of the Isles’ better players in their first-round playoff loss to the Carolina Hurricanes last spring, but that followed a season in which he was a healthy scratch three times, twice under Lane Lambert and once under Patrick Roy. Engvall lost his spot in the top nine to Tsyplakov, the 26-year-old who had a marvelous training camp, and Lamoriello indicated on Sunday that neither he nor Roy felt Engvall would work in a fourth-line role.
There was also the salary cap to consider. Keeping Tsyplakov ($950,000 cap hit) and Wahlstrom ($1 million) meant the Isles couldn’t simply waive their depth forwards making less than those two, so a bigger number had to go. Engvall’s contract being buried in the AHL will save $1.15 million against the cap.
Let’s quickly break down what all these moves mean:
Wahlstrom earns his keep
Wahlstrom was probably the longest shot to make the opening-night roster when camp began but the 24-year-old showed enough of his skill and size to get a crack at opening the season on the fourth line, with Julien Gauthier earning the 13th forward spot.
Not a comfortable position for Wahlstrom but if he can supplement what should be a pretty straightforward five-on-five assignment with some PP2 time, this could work. Gauthier had a strong enough camp to earn the extra spot over Hudson Fasching, Liam Foudy and Fredrik Karlstrom, though if all three (Fasching in particular) clear waivers, the competition won’t end with Monday’s roster.
Most teams will tend toward giving their own high draft picks every benefit of the doubt. Wahlstrom seemed like a sure goner after last season but there’s still potential there.
What’s next for Engvall
Some time in the AHL, first and foremost. No one is doing anything but chuckling to themselves about Engvall being on waivers after signing nearly a max-term deal off a handful of solid games post-trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs. There’s no waiver claim coming and no trade — this is Lamoriello admitting his mistake in signing Engvall and beginning the process of trying to undo the damage.
Even an injury or poor play at the NHL level might not bring Engvall back, since the $1.15 million in cap savings would go back on once he’s recalled. The Isles would need to use long-term injured reserve or get rid of about $875,000 in cap space to make room for an Engvall return, so this could be a lengthy stay.
Beyond that, a buyout is very straightforward, since Engvall only has straight $3 million in salary for each of the next six years. If he’s bought out in June of 2025, Engvall would count for $1 million against the cap for another 10 years, until 2034-35. That $2 million in cap savings the next five seasons is probably more attractive than worrying about a $1 million charge the five years beyond that.
Bolduc’s first time on waivers
Samuel Bolduc didn’t hit the waiver wire last season out of fear another team would scoop up the 2019 second-rounder. But the 23-year-old has stalled out the last couple years, partly from lack of playing time and mostly from a lack of confidence. A 6-foot-4, 220-pound left-shot defenseman who can skate may be very attractive on the waiver wire, particularly to one of the teams that get first crack in the waiver priority list and have zero cap concerns. Brent Thompson coached Bolduc for two years in Bridgeport and is now in charge of the D on the Anaheim Ducks bench, so maybe that’s a connection to explore when claims are announced on Monday afternoon.
Dennis Cholowski beat out Grant Hutton for the No. 7 defense slot but it’s hard to imagine that job is Cholowski’s to keep. He’s been fine this camp.
Scanning the wire for D help
If the Isles are looking to upgrade that No. 7 spot, they would need a player who makes league minimum. Here are a couple of names that caught my eye:
Marshall Rifai, Leafs: He’s a big LHD with a little edge to his game. Kyle Dubas was Leafs GM when Toronto signed Rifai as an undrafted free agent out of Harvard so perhaps the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are ahead of the Isles in the waiver claim order, take a shot here.
Matthew Robertson, Rangers: He’s the crosstown rivals’ version of Bolduc, a second-round pick who hasn’t panned out yet. Unlikely he’s ready for meaningful NHL time.
Sebastian Aho, Penguins: Ah, an old friend! Aho has a long history as the Isles’ seventh defenseman and he apparently wasn’t able to secure that role with Pittsburgh this camp.
(Photo of Pierre Engvall: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
