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Lou Lamoriello reveals true reason for placing $21M Pierre Engvall on waivers
New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello explained the decision to place forward Pierre Engvall on waivers on Sunday, ahead of opening night.
Engvall, 28, was acquired by the Islanders in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs on February 28, 2023. Shortly after, he was signed to a seven-year, $21M contract extension carrying an annual cap hit of $3 million.
However, after a disappointing training camp and preseason showing, Engvall finds himself on the outs.
"I think that what happened, simplistically, is that he's a top six, top nine forward, and Maxim Tsyplakov earned his way into that role, and basically, we have to make the best decisions for the best lineup we can put together," Lamoriello explained.
"It's as simple as that. It's not that he did anything wrong, but he basically lost the job at this point. He is not a bottom-six player." he added.
Lamoriello added that he still believes in Engvall's talent and abilities, but with the additions of Anthony Duclair and Tsyplakov, as well as other players competing for roster spots, Engvall became the odd man out.
The Islanders have the option to allocate $1.15 million of Pierre Engvall's salary to minors, resuting in $1.85 million remaining in the cap space. This cap relief will let the team keep forward Oliver Wahlstrom on the NHL roster.
Fans react to Islanders placing Pierre Engvall on waivers
Fans were left stunned and divided after the team unexpectedly placed forward Pierre Engvall on waivers, who has six years remaining in his contract.
The move sparked intense debate across social media platforms, with supporters expressing a mix of shock, disappointment, and in some cases, approval. One fan tweeted:
"Waiving a guy you just signed to a 7 year contract is … yikes."
Another posted:
"This is the best news I've heard in a long time!!!!!"
Here are some more fan reactions:
"I really wanted to like him, but he just doesn’t bring it. Lackadaisical play. One of Lou’s biggest blunders unfortunately," one fan wrote on X.
"Would have been the type of player the Coyotes would have claimed, low money long term," another fan wrote.
"Will anyone actually claim him? They get the 6 years left on his deal. He may get to enjoy Bridgeport yet," a user commented.
"this is embarrassing," another user wrote.
Apart from Pierre Engvall, the Islanders also placed forwards Hudson Fasching, Liam Foudy, Frederik Karlstrom, defensemen Samuel Bolduc, Grant Hutton and goaltenders Marcus Hogberg and Jakub Skarek on waivers Sunday.
Ilya Sorokin appears set to be the starting goaltender based on Hogberg being waived. Forwards Julien Gauthier and Dennis Cholowski seem to have secured roster spots after strong training camps.
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