Engstrom Impressed With The Habs
The Montreal Canadiens enjoyed one of their best draft classes in recent history when they selected a bevy of talented players in 2022, including defenceman Adam Engstrom.
The bulk of the attention has rightfully been given to Juraj Slafkovsky and Lane Hutson, but there’s no doubt Engstrom possesses the type of skill set that should translate nicely to the NHL.
His development path kept him in Europe until 2024, where he played crucial minutes for Rögle BK in the SHL (Swedish Hockey League), before eventually making his way to the AHL and quickly becoming one of the most important players in the Laval Rocket lineup.
His quick acclimatization to North American hockey was far from a surprise, given that he already had 118 games of professional experience under his belt. It was essentially the polar opposite of David Reinbacher’s European development path, which resulted in injuries, an endless carousel of head coaches, and a lack of significant improvement.
Such is life when you’re drafting talented players from various areas around the globe.
You can’t always control every aspect of their development, but every once in a while, the stars align. This has certainly been the case for Engstrom, who represented the Laval Rocket at the AHL All-Star weekend last season.
Montreal Canadiens fans voted Engstrom as the No.7 prospect in the system, though you could make a strong argument that he deserves to be a little higher in the rankings.
Previously published Montreal Canadiens prospect rankings
No. 7 – Adam Engstrom – 22 – Defenceman – Shoots Left – 6’2″ – 190lb – Laval Rocket (AHL) – Drafted 92nd Overall 2022
Engstrom registered his name on the scoresheet 38 times in 95 regular-season games in the SHL, an encouraging production rate for a young player facing very strong quality of competition.
However, the true test came when he joined the Laval Rocket in 2024. As most Canadiens fans are well aware, the team has had a rather spotty history when it comes to skilled defencemen hailing from Sweden, which led to a certain amount of apprehension about Engstrom’s long-term value to the organization.
The anxiety quickly faded when Engstrom finished his first season in the AHL with five goals and 22 assists to his name. He followed it up with yet another impressive season in 2025-26, to the tune of 10 goals and 24 assists in just 45 games.
It was far and away the best offensive result of any player featured in the Rocket lineup, as veteran Marc Del Gaizo finished second in defenceman scoring, with nine goals and 18 assists in 67 games.
(It should be noted that while Luke Mittlestad played in a very limited number of games, he had five points in just nine outings, which equates to a 0.55 points-per-game ratio.)
We’re not here to suggest that Engstrom will eventually win the Norris Trophy, however, P.K. Subban produced a 0.68 points-per-game (PPG) scoring pace in his brief tenure with the Hamilton Bulldogs in 2009-2010. Simon Nemec, picked second overall in 2022, established a 0.52 PPG with the Utica Comets.
That being said, Engstrom was a little older than the aforementioned defencemen, and we’re comparing his second year in the league to a pair of players who were rookies.
Regardless, Engstrom was clearly Laval’s most productive defenceman, while also improving his defensive acumen every night. He’s far from a defensive specialist, but he should no longer be considered a liability in his own end. His elite skating allows him to cover a lot of ice, bailing his teammates out whenever turnovers occur.
He’s not immune to giveaways, but he’s done a great job picking his spots in the AHL, including several plays in which he played the hero role for the Rocket.
Engstrom Projection
Adam Engstrom ended up playing 15 games for the Canadiens, mostly featuring in a bottom-pairing role. He registered one assist, but to get a clear idea of his true potential, we must evaluate his underlying numbers.
While Engstrom was on the ice, the Habs controlled 51.2% of the shots, well above the team average. Other than Lane Hutson (52.96%), Engstrom was the only Canadiens defenceman who featured in more than 10 games and managed to finish with a positive shot control percentage.
In fact, all his underlying numbers were above average, relative to his teammates. There are some mitigating factors, including his usage, which was much easier than most, but the fact remains that Engstrom produced very solid numbers during his audition. After all, he can’t control his ice time, that’s up to the coach.
He can only perform as well as possible in the minutes he’s given.
His control of quality scoring chances, in particular, was quite excellent. And it improved a long-term area of weakness for the Habs, as they’ve struggled to maintain a respectable share of high-danger scoring chances over the course of the last four years.
In that vein, you could make a legitimate argument that not only is Engstrom underrated in the grand scheme of things, but also that he should be considered one of the players who could earn a roster spot directly out of training camp.
He knows how to play on both sides of the ice, the exact type of versatility you need from a young defenceman who is attempting to earn a job in the NHL.
He’s one of the best skaters in the entire organization, yet another skill that should serve him well in his bid to become an important part of the Canadiens’ blue line.
It won’t be easy, but if history is any indication, Engstrom will continue his steady upward trend, defying the odds while outplaying prospects who were drafted well ahead of him.
All Montreal Canadiens prospect and Adam Engstrom statistics via Elite Prospects. Adam Engstrom underlying numbers are 5v5 unless otherwise noted, via Natural Stat Trick.
