Montreal Canadiens Sign Swedish Defenceman to ELC

Adam Engstrom Signs Three-Year Deal

Engstrom netted four goals and added 18 assists for 22 points in 51 games with Rogle BK of the Swedish Hockey League. The 20-year-old was second in points for a defenceman on his team for the most-recent campaign. Montreal picked Engstrom in the third round, 92nd overall of the 2022 NHL Draft.

The Jarna, Sweden native helped Rogle to a second-place finish in the league. Engstrom also registered four assists in 15 post-season games for his team. He’s also represented his native country at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship. Engstrom finished with a goal and two assists in seven games for Sweden in that tournament.

In our latest Canadiens top prospects recap, Engstrom finished ninth. The young blueliner has improved his game and is a sold two-way player. His skating is excellent and has a quality shot. He ate some big minutes with Rogle this season.

What It Means

The Habs have a ton of young defencemen just itching to get a chance with the big club. Players like David Reinbacher, Lane Hutson, Justin Barron, Logan Mailloux and others seem to be the base of a defence that could give the league massive headaches. Adding Engstrom is another piece that shore up depth with the group.

The amount of young defenders is going to cause a logjam and general manager Kent Hughes will likely have to do something soon. There could be some moves up top to clear the way to give these young players chances. Engstrom has received rave reviews about his development so far and he’ll try to get into the mix for a a roster spot eventually.