Adam Engstrom is “extremely popular” in Montreal: keep an eye on him at camp

Dose
Crédit: MONTREAL, QC - SEPTEMBER 15: Look on Montreal Canadiens defenseman Adam Engstrom (42) during warm-up before the Toronto Maple Leafs versus the Montreal Canadiens preseason prospect showdown game on September 15, 2024, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Right now, there’s no real mystery on the Habs blue line. It’s pretty clear who the seven defensemen are going to be at the top of the line, andbarring a surprise (injury, trade, etc.) it’s been pretty clear for a long time now.Of course, you’ll tell me that David Reinbacher could be a surprise (and he is), but I don’t see Kent Hughes sending Jayden Struble to the waivers or trading Arber Xhekaj for a long shot just to make room for the Austrian….But is there another name that needs to be included in the conversation?We’re referring here to Adam Engstrom, a young European defenseman who’s getting more and more comfortable in the AHL with the Laval Rocket.How good a chance does he have of breaking into the NHL? In my eyes, he’s ninth in the pecking order… but a club needs so many players in one season that we shouldn’t be surprised to see him force the Habs’ hand down the road. Will it happen in camp? I have my doubts. But as Renaud Lavoie said this morning on BPM Sports, Engstrom is “extremely appreciated” by Habs management.

[content-ad]Anthony Marcotte, on the BPM Sports morning show, recalled how solid the defenseman was last year in the AHL playoffs.

We should also mention that the GM of the Laval Rocket recently opened the door to seeing the defenseman arrive in the NHL sooner rather than later. So, yes, we’ll be keeping an eyeon him at rookie camp and at the real Canadiens camp. He needs to leave his calling card to lay the groundwork for an eventual recall to town.[spacer title=’Overtime’]- He’s not happy.

– Not easy, sometimes.

– It just keeps getting worse.

– What do you think?

– Yes.