Top 25 Under 25: Pierre Engvall leaps up to 9th

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports The first couple of weeks on the Top 25 involve plenty of faint hopes that any rational fan has to recognize probably won’t ever reach the NHL. We’re used to being cautious and cynical about them, for good reason.

But every once in a while, you get a Pierre Engvall. All hail our glorious giraffe: he’s this year’s #9.

Acquired: 188th in 2014 draft

The History

Pierre Engvall was drafted in the seventh round in 2014, a lanky young Swede who had decent production in the lower divisions. The wise sages at PPP basically did not think about him again for three years, as he blossomed into a quality player in the Allsvenskan, the second-tier Swedish league (it’s the one…