Adam Engstrom is looking good in North America.
The Montreal Canadiens may have gotten a sneaky good player in Adam Engstrom. This 6’2” defenseman has some talent moving the puck up the ice and he has a chance to be an NHLer someday.
Engstrom was in the Djurgardens system and he showed some offensive prowess during that time but as far as having good vision, and being a skilled passer, he does that two and that’s something that’s hard to ignore. During his time with the J20 team, he had eight goals and 20 assists in 45 games. Engstrom was more than a point-per-game in the postseason in 2021-22. He did have Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Liam Ohgren, and Noah Ostlund on his team. That boosted his numbers.
Engstrom will go down low and get some shots on the net like a forward. He has that hockey sense on when to do that. He only has two goals this season with Laval but I can see him getting 5-8 based on that. He is shooting over three times per game.
He’s currently winning over 61% of his puck battles per InStat. He’s not physical, he’s good with his stick but his overall defense needs work. The coaching staff isn’t giving him a lot of defensive zone starts.
Engstrom recently turned 21, so this gives him a chance to develop for the rest of the season and probably next season too. So far, he’s looking like a potential bottom-pairing defenseman and if you can get one with a 92nd overall pick, that’s not bad.
The Canadiens have learned to get some key players from the SHL. Those prospects can develop over there for a few seasons and then they can get into the AHL whether they are 20 or not. It’s a good strategy.