Canadiens Prospect Watch: Adam Engstrom’s Stock Keeps Rising

Swedish Sensation

The Montreal Canadiens are blessed with a strong prospect pool.

And while promising players such as Lane Hutson, Riley Kidney, Joshua Roy, and Sean Farrell have deserved the praise they’ve received this season, one player, in particular, has flown under the radar.

Defenceman Adam Engstrom.

The 19-year-old continues to impress while playing in the Swedish Hockey League, displaying creativity in the offensive zone, incredibly fluid skating, and high-end decision-making that leads to good things for Rögle whenever Engstrom is on the ice.

Greeat defensive play from #Habs prospect Adam Engström. Especially impressive how he tucks the stick to keep a lane forward for the attacker, and not draw a penalty. Hockey IQ in spades. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/603p5IeFvJ

— Patrik Bexell (@Zeb_Habs) February 25, 2023

His ice time has hovered around the 15-minute mark since the start of the new year, a noticeable drop compared to the TOI he was receiving when filling in on the top pairing, but his reduced usage has also come with an impressive increase in production.

With an assist in Saturday’s matchup against IK Oskarshamn, Engstrom pushed his season totals to six goals and nine assists in 38 games, bolstered by a great stretch of hockey that yielded eight points in his last 10 games.

An absolute bomb from #Habs prospect Adam Engström, who scores his sixth SHL goal of the season. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/1H6Ppvdlta

— Patrik Bexell (@Zeb_Habs) February 21, 2023

To get a better idea of how impressive it is for a 19-year-old defenceman to produce those types of numbers in the SHL, we can compare his production to NHL-drafted defencemen who developed in Sweden.

Engstrom, who is projected to finish the year with seven goals and 17 assists in 43 games, compares quite well to several players chosen well before him at the Draft. And that’s without considering he’s in the middle of a significant uptick in production.

As we compare the numbers, we should also keep in mind Engstrom cracked Rogle’s roster as an 18-year-old.

It’s a rough and dirty form of analysis, granted, but when you see names such as Victor Hedman, Mattias Ohlund, William Wallinder, Nicklas Lidstrom, and Erik Brannstrom close to Engstrom’s points-per-game pace, there’s no other reaction than being excited about his overall potential.

No one expects Engstrom to come close to matching the brilliance we saw from Lidstrom on a nightly basis in the NHL, but his production is noteworthy, nonetheless.

What’s Next For The Canadiens Prospect

So, where will Engstrom end up next season?

Laval? Montreal?

Let’s hold those horses for one moment!

Engstrom signed an extension with Rogle, which means he’s under contract until the conclusion of the 2023-24 season.

This extension feels like a perfect fit, not only for Rogle, which gets to enjoy another season from an excellent defender but for the Canadiens as well, since they don’t have to worry about finding a place for Engstrom in North America next season.

Officially, the Canadiens must sign Engstrom by June 1, 2026, to retain his rights, however, given his recent development, they’re unlikely to wait until the last minute to tender a contract offer.

And in the meantime, he can continue his development without the added scrutiny and intensity that comes with playing in Montreal or Laval.

Other Montreal Canadiens Prospect News and Highlights

• Sean Farrell scored one of the smoothest goals in the NCAA this year during a penalty shot. Farrell is now up to 18 goals and 29 assists in 29 games for the Harvard Crimson this season.

2️⃣1️⃣ makes it look easy

📺ESPN+ #GoCrimson | #OneCrimson pic.twitter.com/rVNvoUCnkm

— Harvard Men's Hockey (@HarvardMHockey) February 25, 2023

• Peterborough Petes forward Owen Beck recently appeared on the Steve Dangle Podcast Network, discussing his crazy season, his NHL debut, the gold medal at the World Junior Championship, and more.

• Logan Mailloux scored his 21st goal of the season on Saturday, maintaining his grip on the OHL’s defenceman goal-scoring lead. The goal was his 12th powerplay marker of the season.
• With an assist against Vermont, defenceman Lane Hutson now has 10 goals and 29 assists in 31 games for Boston University.

• Vinzenz Rohrer earned two points in Ottawa’s 4-1 win over the Mississauga Steelheads.
• All Riley Kidney does is earn points. He’s up to 11 goals and 32 assists in 17 games for the Gatineau Olympiques.