Canadiens' Engstrom steps out of the shadows in Prospect Showdown vs. Maple Leafs

MONTREAL — Adam Engstrom cruised through the neutral zone, snuck behind coverage as he crossed over the offensive blue line and found himself in the right place at the right time to receive the puck and uncork the snapshot that put the Montreal Canadiens’ rookies on the board in the first of two games against the Toronto Maple Leafs top prospects this weekend.

It was a pivotal moment for the six-foot-two, 197-pound Swede. One of several that took him out of the shadows and into the spotlight on this sunny Saturday afternoon. 

If nearly 20,000 people packed the Bell Centre to see high-profile, high-flying defencemen Lane Hutson, Logan Mailloux and David Reinbacher take their first steps towards trying to make the Canadiens out of training camp, they probably left with Engstrom’s name on the tips of their tongues.

He wasn’t perfect—nobody playing in their first-ever game in this environment would be—but he was, in the words of one scout in attendance, “smooth, smart, and not afraid to hold onto pucks.”

“There’s definitely something to work with there,” said another.

Two productive seasons in Sweden’s top professional league for the 92^nd overall pick of the Canadiens in 2022 suggested there would be. 

Engstrom has only reinforced it since arriving at this year’s rookie camp.

The goal he scored in this 4-3 shootout loss for the Canadiens helped. As did the swagger he exhibited on the immediate shifts that followed it.

Engstrom made mistakes at the start, and even towards the end. 

But he didn’t sweat them, saying after the game that he’d work on transitioning the puck faster than he did and that early-season fumbles were to be expected.

His teammates were impressed by Engstrom’s composure, and his by his performance.

Laval Rocket coach Pascal Vincent, who’s running Canadiens rookie camp, was too. 

He challenged his players to make their mark in these games and do everything they could to stand out, and it’s clear he felt Engstrom delivered.

“We notice him, that’s what he’s doing,” Vincent said. “Little things—the details in his game—are really good.”

They were apparent to Vincent in Saturday’s game, but also obvious to him over the days that preceded it.

“When you run a drill, as a coach, you want to see who understands. We don’t do a drill just to do a drill.” Vincent said. “Most of the time, except for shooting drills maybe, it’s component teaching, it’s a little piece of your game that you’re trying to teach, and [Engstrom] gets that really quick. Those little details—[for] some players, it takes a little bit more time, and it seems like with him, he’s getting that really quick.”

It’s the type of start Engstrom could only have hoped for, as a player who’s starting far from pole position.

The hype around Hutson, who was expected to be the most dynamic player on the ice this weekend, is palpable and, man, did he ever live up to it in this first game. Mailloux, who sported the captain’s ‘C’ on Saturday, exhibited the physicality, passing and shooting ability that makes him a threat to remain in Montreal come October. And Reinbacher, who was chosen fifth overall by the Canadiens in 2023, had his moments, too, despite displaying a few nerves to start.

For Engstrom, the goal was to enter the conversation, and he immediately achieved it.

The 20-year-old knew it, too.

Of his smooth transition to the North American ice surface, Engstrom said, “I’m comfortable with myself and what I can do, and I try to do what I’m good at and try to use that to my advantage.”

We’ll see how much more he can show Sunday, as the competition ramps up and the sprint towards main camp begins.

Notes and observations

- It’s hard to single out one particular sequence of Hutson’s when he had so many good ones—he was dominant in the offensive zone, bending the ankles and straining the necks of his opposition with every juke and jive—but I actually felt one stood out above the rest. It was in overtime, when he chased Fraser Minten down in Toronto territory and won a battle for the puck he was ill-equipped to win.

You expect to see the slick transition plays in his own end, the dance moves to create space for himself, and the seam passes he makes with relative ease from shift to shift. But Hutson’s competitiveness and creativity to win battles he’s disadvantaged to win will really help him gain footing in the race to a spot on the Canadiens.

“That’s a huge thing for me,” Hutson said. “I’m not going to effortlessly take a puck from a guy. It’s going to be pretty hard to take pucks off guys who are really talented players. But I want to show I can do that, turn pucks up quick and put guys in difficult spots.”

So far, so good on that front.

- A prop bet on Florian Xhekaj fighting in his first shift probably didn’t pay big, but it was guaranteed money. 

“He came into that game and he had a gameplan, and I guess he followed his gameplan,” said Vincent.

- An expected standout on Saturday: Justin Larose—an undrafted, 19-year-old, who was invited to rookie camp after breaking out with 38 goals and 80 points with the QMJHL’s Victoriaville Tigres.

- Easton Cowan and Minten were expected to be Toronto’s best players and they lived up to that billing from start to finish. Each of them scored in regulation, and in the shootout.

Goaltender Dennis Hildeby also had an excellent game, despite allowing Owen Beck’s shot to squeak through him late with three seconds remaining in the second period.

- Speaking of Beck, his game got better and better with every shift. Physically involved, strong in turning pucks over and keeping the cycle going, generally in the right place at all times. He also won close to 60 per cent of his faceoffs, which is anything but surprising. He’s got pro habits, and they show.