With the offseason slowly inching its way toward training camp, we have time to look at the European prospects of the Montreal Canadiens. These players are sometimes forgotten due to them not being in the area creating an “out of sight, out of mind” situation among the fan base. This covers European prospects that should be in Europe this year. This will be excluding the prospects who are in Russia, due to the ongoing political issues due to the invasion of Ukraine. Those prospects are Bogdan Konyushov (RD), Alexander Gordin (C), Dmitri Kostenko (RD), and Yevgeni Volohkin (G).
The Canadiens European prospects’ development shouldn’t be rushed. They need more time and some home cooking before they should be exposed to North American professional hockey. Here is a look at what they need this season before they join the organization full-time.
David Reinbacher – Right Defense – 18 Years Old
The first, and most well-known European prospect in the Canadiens’ stable is David Reinbacher. Yes, he is eligible to play in the American Hockey League (AHL) this coming season, but that may not be the best place for him.
The AHL is the one league most like the NHL in the style of play, rink size, and pace. However, it isn’t necessarily the best place for an 18-year-old defenseman to play. According to Guy Boucher while on an episode of RDS’s French language On Jase, someone with NHL and Swiss League (NL) head coaching experience has stated that the NL is a superior league, talent-wise to the AHL.
There is an argument that coming to North America would benefit Reinbacher by giving him the closest approximation to NHL play possible. Fans who want to see this need to keep in mind their objections to “rushing” the development of high picks as some argued against with Jesperi Kotkaniemi and more recently, Juraj Slafkovsky. But the NL is a better choice for the young defenseman for several reasons. First, the skill level of his competition is higher and the game leans more towards offense, an area of his game he needs to expand upon. Second, allowing him to continue a full season on EHC Kloten’s top pair will provide him with more ice time and a larger role than he would have with the Laval Rocket, something that could help him when he makes the leap to the AHL in the 2024-25 season.
Related: Canadiens 2023 NHL Draft Pick: David Reinbacher
Finally, there are the health concerns stemming from a recent TVA Sports report in French saying that they have discovered Reinbacher has Osgood-Schlatter disease. It is a common cause of knee pain in growing adolescents, also known as “growing pains”. It is an inflammation of the area just below the knee where the tendon from the kneecap (patellar tendon) attaches to the shinbone (tibia). While there is nothing to be overly concerned about in the long term, the short-term effects could cause him to miss development time in North America as the style is more physical and played in tighter confines. Playing on a larger rink would minimize that and give him time to finish growing and thus outgrow his “growing pains”.
Expectations for Reinbacher will be high no matter where he plays next season as fans will want to see an increase in offensive production. He should have more opportunities in the NL but also get the chance to play internationally for Austria in Division Two of the World Junior Championship (WJC).
Adam Engstrom – Left Defense – 20 Years Old
Adam Engstrom wasn’t a well-known name when he was drafted in the third round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft by the Canadiens. He was seen as a mid-level defensive prospect sitting far down the depth chart, who at 6-foot-2 and 187-pounds, had NHL size. Since that time, he has gained some notoriety thanks to his strong play in 2022-23, where he ended up earning a role on the top pairing of Rogle’s Swedish Hockey League (SHL) club, but also including his time with Team Sweden at the 2023 WJC.
Engstrom’s game is built on his excellent skating and hockey IQ. He is highly mobile and uses it to control the gap, angle players to the outside, and start the transition in control. With some added experience and added strength (which comes with age) the minor issues in his defensive game will be corrected. When you combine his physical skills with his height and reach, there is plenty of potential for him to develop into a solid, two-way NHL defenseman.
The young Swede still needs time to develop, and the expanded role with Rogle is ideal for his development. It is a role he would not have if he were to come to North America this season. What will be needed from him this season is more offense. His defensive game is already well developed, now he needs to add to his abilities to build point production and see a significant rise from his 16 points in 46 games last season. If he can take another step in 2023-24, it is highly possible fans will see him arrive with the Rocket to finish out the season as Emil Heineman did in 2022-23.
Filip Eriksson – Center – 18 Years Old
Little is known about Filip Eriksson, and that has much to do with his injury last season causing him to miss all but 11 games. Playing with the Växjö Lakers in the SHL J20 league last year, he scored five goals and 10 points in those 11 games.
Eriksson was always a small player on his teams in lower levels and only recently hit a growth spurt, shooting up to 6 feet and 172 pounds. Because of the fact he was smaller, he relied upon his hockey IQ, skating, and good vision to outperform opponents, which will only be of help to him as he continues to develop. If he remains healthy and can continue to produce as he did last year, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him added to the host nation’s WJC team for the 2024 tournament being hosted in Goteborg, Sweden.
Eriksson loves to play a high-tempo style and is a highly intelligent natural two-way center. Also, he is highly thought of in the Växjö organization. While he missed most of the season with an injury, that didn’t stop management from giving him a spot on the top club roster for their playoff run despite his limited playing time at the J20 level. Eriksson could be a diamond in the rough down the line making his selection in the sixth round in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft a true home run swing. Either he makes it and becomes a top-six NHL forward or he never arrives. Not a bad gamble to take with a late-round pick.
Oliver Kapanen – Center – 19 Years Old
Last, but certainly not least is Oliver Kapanen. The 19-year-old will play his 2023-24 season with Kalpa. A 2021 second-round pick, he made huge strides over his rookie season in the Liiga, Finland’s top professional league. In 2021-22, he had only two points in 16 games but last season saw him earn a larger role and improve upon his scoring with 12 goals and 27 points in 55 games. He also played a top-six center role for Finland at the 2023 WJC, scoring two goals and three points in five games.
Kapanen is still without an NHL contract, so unless he arrives at training camp and completely impresses management, he will return to Finland. The Canadiens have his NHL rights until the summer of 2025, so while there is no rush to sign him, it would be wise to do so if he can demonstrate some positive development this season. After two full seasons in the Liiga, he should be more than ready for the physical aspect of playing in North America and should be ready to come to Canada to join Laval for the playoffs.
The Canadiens are still in a rebuild. They still have veterans that will need to be moved out to make way for the new wave of youth and that takes time. Allowing players to develop in other leagues and remain closer to home in these formative years is a safer path than trying to shoehorn them into a position that doesn’t fit them in North America. With all this, and the sheer number of prospects on the books, the Habs have the luxury of not needing to rush their prospects.
