Montreal Canadiens sign defenseman Adam Engstrom to three-year, entry-level contract

The Montreal Canadiens have signed prospect defenseman Adam Engström to a three-year, entry-level contract that kicks in with the 2024-25 season.

Engström was drafted 92nd overall by the Canadiens in 2022 after spending the season with Djurgårdens’ U-20 team. He spent the past season in the SHL with Rögle BK, putting up four goals and 22 points in 51 games while averaging around 17 minutes most nights. Rögle just came up short in the Swedish league final, losing to Skelleftea in five games on April 29.

Engström’s SHL contract came to a close following the championship, which means Engström could end up with the AHL’s Laval Rocket for 2024-25.

The 20-year-old previously represented Sweden at the 2023 World Junior Championship, finishing fourth after losing a crazy bronze medal game to the United States.

Montreal has one of the more intriguing blueline pipelines in the NHL. They already have youngsters Kaiden Guhle, Jordan Harris, Arber Xhekaj, Justin Barron and Jayden Struble with NHL experience, while top prospects Lane Hutson and Logan Mailloux made their NHL debuts at the end of the regular season. The Canadiens also have David Reinbacher, who was taken fifth overall at the 2023 NHL Draft.

Outside of the North American pro ranks, Bogdan Konyushkov had a big KHL season, while Luke Mittelstadt had another good year with the University of Minnesota. With so many quality defenders in the system, Montreal is in a position to move one or more to address other needs, such as scoring depth.

The Canadiens finished 28th in the NHL in 2023-24 a 30-36-16 record for 76 points. The team finished the year on a 2-4-4 run, helping them secure the fifth best odds to win the NHL Draft lottery on May 7.