Canadiens' Prospect Adam Engstrom Becomes Trade Candidate

With his entry-level contract going into its final year and no extension talks ongoing, Montreal Canadiens prospect Adam Engstrom has become a trade candidate this summer.

Per Arpon Basu of The Athletic, the Habs "are scouring the trade market and using their surplus on defence as capital in that search."

It is no secret Engström’s name is floating around out there. Teams have asked about him in trade discussions, and the Canadiens are open to those discussions. Engström has yet to be traded, largely because the Canadiens see him as having considerable value.

Engstrom, 23, was an AHL All-Star with the Laval Rocket, and is firmly listed among the Habs' Top 10 prospects, perhaps Top 5. 

The offensive left-shot defenseman was a third-round selection of Montreal in the 2022 NHL Draft, and last year recorded 34 points in 45 games for the Rocket, with a plus/minus rating of +14. His smooth-skating offensive abilities were on display big-time in Laval. 

He also played in 15 games with the Canadiens, notching one point and a +2 rating, averaging 13 minutes of ice time per contest. 

But with Lane Hutson, Noah Dobson, Kaiden Guhle, Mike Matheson and Alexandre Carrier already locks on the Habs blueline, and top prospect David Reinbacher coming, how much room is there for Engstrom in the team's future? 

Additionally, as Basu notes, Engstrom provides the same sort of skills that they already have on their defense corps, in abundance. 

"The question then becomes how much of the same thing one blue line can have, especially when that thing is not what has traditionally won in the playoffs?"

These are questions the Habs must be considering as rival teams come calling.