HabsWorld.net -- 

In a move that has been expected for a while, the Habs made it official on Friday, announcing the signing of defenceman Adam Engstrom to a three-year, entry-level contract.  Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The 20-year-old was a third-round pick by the Canadiens back in 2022, going 92nd overall.  He spent his draft year primarily at the junior level in Sweden but moved up the following season to the SHL, impressing with 16 points in 43 games with Rogle.  That helped earn Engstrom a spot on Sweden’s World Junior team in 2023 as well.

That also helped Engstrom earn the biggest jump in our annual prospect rankings for this season.  Rated 23rd after being drafted, Engstrom moved up 15 spots to 8th this season.

This season, the focus was on Engstrom improving his defensive game which, by all accounts, was accomplished.  He still had a decent year offensively, chipping in with 22 points in 51 contests while adding four helpers in the playoffs as Rogle went from being a low-seed underdog all the way to the league finals.

Worth noting is that Engstrom spent a lot of this season playing on his off-side, often being partnered with former Hab blueliner Brandon Davidson.  With the bulk of the depth in Montreal’s prospect pool coming on the left side of the blueline, the ability to play on the right will certainly come in handy as he looks to earn a roster spot with the Canadiens down the road.