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Speculation: Engvall watch: what is he to this team?

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SoftDumpNtheCorner88

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Jul 5, 2020
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I liked Engvall a few years ago but I feel he has lost his place here and refuses to play in a way where he separates himself from the other players fighting for spots. Ankle injury to start the season and no training camp, but he should be on a short leash if he doesn't figure it out and be an impactful player with all the other guys battling to make the roster.

He has been "given" a spot on our third line and doesn't look to show any ability to be useful playing him up or even down in the line up.

Eventually Knies and Robertson would be looking for a spot and Engvall is right there.... He isn't even a good "our own rental" type of value player this year... I say trade him to the highest bidder in January and call up Robertson or Gaudette. Eventually Knies Will get a look come playoffs too... There just isn't room for a player who's Average at best and taking a spot away from a prospect.

The guys got good straight line speed and a decent shot..... That's it. He sucks at hitting, sucks in the corners, has no toughness to his game and has turned over the puck way to often.

Murray is on LTIR, which means we can call up Robertson who actually hits and battles in corners.. most likely Engvall should be the one sitting out. Even Jarnkrok has already surpassed Engvall in terms of usefulness.


The guys a faster less defensive version of Freddy the goat, incredibly soft. He just doesn't have a spot in our line up. I would even argue Guadette would be of better use on that 3rd line.

Give his spot to Robertson.
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Darcy Tucker said:
An extra body for the Penalty Kill with some size and speed?

Not very bright but neither am I .
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Why do people keep describing Engvall with "size"? He doesn't use his size at all... Ever... Better way to describe it is "reach" his 6'5 frame is only used for his "reach" and that's all.. is he really that important?

ZAR and NAK can replace his PK ability IMO

PK options other than Engvall:

ZAR
NAK
Kampf
Kerfoot
Marner
Jarnkrok
Robertson

I think we're okay.
 
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That play last night along the boards that we all shook our heads at was indicative of how useless he can be.

If I was his agent or mentor I would advise him to become more like Ryan Reaves. He could make lots of money and never have to worry about the puck.
 
Engvall's size is more reach than anything. He's not super soft but he's not some punisher on the ice or guaranteed to win one on ones with smaller opponents. From the short sample of the season thus far, Jarnkrok is a better version of Engvall: more pressuring on the forecheck, more carrying his momentum through into traffic, harder with the body contact, more hustling on the penalty kill.

I want Robertson to have a nice run with the Marlies to earn the promotion so he hits the ice in full flight when the opportunity presents itself.
 
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This has definitely been a rough start to the season for him thus far. Probably his final season with the team too due to his pending UFA status. Overall, he generally still provides a good mix of defensive ability, (some) offence and contract value, given his role and place in the lineup.
 
Not the biggest Engvall fan from the early days, currently I think he is still getting back from that ankle injury, doesn’t seem to be skating as well as he used to.

Having said that, I think when he’s skating well he can be a good secondary PK option. Big wingspan, decent defensive awareness. He’ll never be a top six forward, his offensive game just isn’t there. He can surprise with the occasional goal as his shot is decent. Plays a good cycle when on his game. He is right where he should be. Third or fourth line defensive winger with some PK time.
 
If Malgin's play declines (only Leafs' forward with no shots on goal in the past 2 games), maybe Engvall moves up to the Tavares/Nylander line and that opens up a LW spot on the 3rd for Robertson.
 
Fogelhund said:
Leafs fans always need one guy to complain about... I guess he's your guy.
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I've been complaing about him for years for being invisible in the playoffs. Last year he finally had at least 1 or 2 good playoff games though. I've even called him a giraffe for his height and being soft af.

I wouldn't mind him in a 4 LW and Pk'er role, but top 9, no. Imo we'll be better with this middle 6

Kerfoot - Tavares - Nylander
Robertson - 3C - Jarnkrok

That means we'd need to likely use his cap space to acquire a 3C
 
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Buds17 said:
This has definitely been a rough start to the season for him thus far. Probably his final season with the team too due to his pending UFA status. Overall, he generally still provides a good mix of defensive ability, (some) offence and contract value, given his role and place in the lineup.
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"Good value" is what we say when we have no one else. On a team in "win now" mode, where there was a tight battle for roster spots in preseason and we have to send down or worry teams will take our waiver players, I'd argue it no longer is good value unless we trade him.

We have players that can do what he does and some with more urgency and toughness, it's early in the season, but again I'm seeing a soft big player who is getting paid too much for his reach.
crump said:
Not the biggest Engvall fan from the early days, currently I think he is still getting back from that ankle injury, doesn’t seem to be skating as well as he used to.

Having said that, I think when he’s skating well he can be a good secondary PK option. Big wingspan, decent defensive awareness. He’ll never be a top six forward, his offensive game just isn’t there. He can surprise with the occasional goal as his shot is decent. Plays a good cycle when on his game. He is right where he should be. Third or fourth line defensive winger with some PK time.
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Our 4th line is set without him. So it's our 3rd line that's up for grabs and you have..

Robertson, Malgin, Gaudette and eventually Knies, fighting for that spot.

Gaudette might not be as fast in a straight line race but he has better hustle and board battle urgency. Also Gaudette is also known for his shot too. In the 2 or 3 preseason games Gaudette also had a feisty element to him as well. If we could trade Engvall for picks we already have adequate replacements... I just REALLY HOPE we don't go the "he's our own rental" route with Engvall, kerfoot might be the only player I'll be okay with using as our own rental because he might be worth more as a proven Swiss Army knife depth player. Other players in the past I can kinda understand too (Hyman, micheyev,) but it's never worked out well and Engvall is another example of that. Trade him, and make better use of the cap space elsewhere.
 
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I wouldn’t touch this one even with ……….
1665937477553.jpeg
 
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I hope Jarnkrok is a good example of the vast world of depth players out there in the league that can be equal or greater to Engvall. Which we also see every playoffs regardless the level of opponent.

In this flat cap world coupled with some needed tweaks, his cap hit is high enough now for the sharks to smell blood and I'm not sure his performance will be enough to save himself.
 
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Seriously I'd be more than fine to move him for whatever we can get for him the sooner the better. Everytime I watch him I'm somewhere between 'meh' and unimpressed by him. He doesn't bring anything to the team that can't easily be replaced by another player. If we could get any pick for him I'd be happy.
 
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HockeyVirus said:
So we just ignoring he missed basically all of camp with an ankle injury and is likely still trying to get his timing and conditioning levels back? Because Engvall right now and Engvall last season are very different players.
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100% ... I'll give him a couple weeks to get his timing back before I criticize him but in the meantime I'd love to use the time to get Robertson some reps on the 2nd/3rd line, an extended training camp. Engvall can get his conditioning levels back to game levels in practice time
 
He's a slow starter but a good third line player. 35 even strength points last season indicates to me he's more of a 3rd liner then a 4th liner. I'd like to sit him for a game to give Malgin an extra game and get Robertson in while also waking him up a bit in a contract year, but over the season he's going to be a key player for a long stretch of the year.

edit - 29 even strength points.
 
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