On Tuesday, the Montreal Canadiens were edged out 4-3 in overtime by the San Jose Sharks. The loss was disheartening, but it was a promising night for 22-year-old defenseman Adam Engstrom, one of the club's youngest players.
Engstrom played 17 shifts totaling just under 13 minutes and was the only Canadiens defender not on the ice for a goal against at even strength. He logged a little over 12 of those minutes at even strength, which likely helped, but he had his moments throughout the night and this season.
The Swedish import has been one of Montreal's best at five-on-five, on the ice for four Canadiens goals and just two against, both of which came in the 4-3 shootout win over the Buffalo Sabres on October 13. Outside of that game, he hasn't been on the ice for another even-strength goal against with the only other goal he has allowed past him was while Montreal was on the penalty kill.
Five games into the season and 20 into his NHL career, Engstrom hasn't posted eye-popping numbers as more of a puck-moving defenseman rather than a physical one, with eight hits, 11 blocks, two takeaways and 11 giveaways over his young career.
At the AHL level with the Laval Rocket, he was one of the team's best passing defensemen, recording 24 assists and ten goals for 34 points in 45 games. His 24 assists tied him with Sammy Blais for fourth on the team, and only Blais played fewer games among the players ahead of him.
Some of his underlying numbers this season are encouraging. Despite playing fewer minutes than most Montreal defensemen, he is still moving his feet, ranking in the 84th percentile in the league with 14.33 kilometers skated per 60 minutes, and his top speed of 34.01 km/h is also above average, in the 61st percentile. His legs clearly belong in the NHL, and the next step is bringing the rest of his game up to speed.
A Case for Staying in the Lineup
A 2022 third-round pick, Engstrom has grown into one of the more talked-about prospects in the Canadiens' system, and his start has only fueled the conversation about keeping him in the lineup over others. He is one of eight Canadiens, and one of just three Montreal defensemen, with a positive even-strength goal differential this season. Meanwhile, players like Arber Xhekaj have posted worse results on a similar workload.
Montreal could give Engstrom more opportunities to truly see how good he can be, and an upcoming schedule featuring weaker offenses, starting with the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday, offers a chance to do so.
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