When the Montreal Canadiens set off for their midwestern road trip, they recalled an extra defenceman from the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League (AHL). Since they have been playing with a man short on the 23-man roster, they usually do this for every road trip. The difference this time is that in the past, they would recall Marc Del Gazio; this time, however, they recalled Adam Engstrom, which raised many eyebrows and sparked much speculation about what general manager Kent Hughes has in mind.
Canadiens Recall Engstrom for Western Road Trip
The Canadiens recalled Engstrom for the road trip after he had a phenomenal game against the Belleville Senators, where he had a goal and four assists in a 7-2 victory. The fact that he was recalled right after his best professional game could be a sign that the Canadiens wanted to reward him for his play, but it could also have a deeper meaning.
As mentioned earlier, the Habs usually recall Del Gazio for road trips as the seventh defenceman; this has happened twice before. The fact that they promoted Engstrom and then played him in the first game after his recall could mean they want to showcase him to other teams and maybe have him available for a trade.
Engstrom played in the first game on the trip against the Utah Mammoth and played well. Nothing exciting, but he didn’t look out of place, with one shot and just under 11 minutes of ice time, while replacing Arber Xhekaj, who was a healthy scratch. With the team extending Mike Matheson for five years at $30 million, they have created a logjam on defence with an overabundance of talented defencemen fighting for spots in Montreal.
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Recalling and playing Engstrom can be seen in two ways: showcasing him to other teams or assessing how he fits into the Canadiens’ system and where he should be in the lineup. Given that, until 2031, the top three spots will be Matheson, Noah Dobson and Lane Hutson, it might be hard for an offence-skilled playmaker like Engstrom to get the ice time he needs to succeed in Montreal.
Canadiens Involved in Many Trade Rumours
When the Canadiens defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 at the Bell Centre, there were many scouts in attendance, mainly from the Nashville Predators and the St. Louis Blues. This makes sense, knowing that the Habs are connected to a few players from both teams in trade rumours. The Blues are reportedly shopping Jordan Kyrou, who Montreal had interest in before the season started. The Predators have been rumoured to be looking to move centers Steve Stamkos and Ryan O’Reilly as they try to clear up cap space.
Since the Canadiens already made a trade with the Blues for Zachary Bolduc, trading for Kyrou seems a bit redundant, considering they are both wingers. Trading for Stamkos or O’Reilly makes more sense since the Habs are still trying to fill their number two center void, and both players could fit in there for the short term.
Engstrom could be part of any deal for any of those players; the asking price for O’Reilly has been reported as a first-round pick and a top prospect. If Engstrom falls into that category, he could be part of a deal for O’Reilly. Playing him in Montreal could also show they are willing to move on from one of their other defencemen, such as Xhekaj, Jayden Struble, or injury-prone Kaiden Guhle.
The Candiens also have many defencemen in their system that project to be NHL players, like David Reinbacher, William Trudeau, Bogdan Konyushkov, Owen Protz and Bryce Pickford. The team is left-handed heavy, and moving a left-handed defenceman makes the most sense, plus it’s a move from a position of strength.
Canadiens fans shouldn’t be shocked if the Habs move a young defender and pick up a coveted second-line center by the Christmas deadline of Dec. 20. The question is, who will it be? Let me know your thoughts.
