Pierre Engvall
Pierre Engvall had a breakout season in 2021-22 with 15 goals and 20 assists for 35 points in 78 games.
Considering he spent most of the season playing defensive hockey with David Kampf, and starting a ton of shifts in the defensive zone, these are really impressive numbers.
His possession numbers were excellent, considering the competition and deployment. At even strength, the team controlled the puck 53.2% of the time while he was on the ice.
He established himself as a steady bottom-six forward and reliable penalty killer. While short-handed, Engvall scored two short-handed goals and got credited with five takeaways compared to one giveaway.
During Toronto’s first-round series against Tampa, Engvall upped his game to another level and got rewarded. He saw his ice time jump from 13:17 during the regular season to 15:09 in the playoffs. Engvall also upped his physical game during the playoffs with 17 hits in seven games.
Engvall has exceeded all expectations and could even find himself auditioning for a job with Tavares and Nylander if he does’t resume his role alongside Kampf.