“Adam Engström was the most sought-after player on the Canadiens at the trade deadline”

Félix Forget
“Adam Engström was the most sought-after player on the Canadiens at the trade deadline”
Credit: David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

For the past few months, the Canadiens have been on the hunt for big names. The team wants to surround its core with other quality players and is trying to make trades to achieve that.

Noah Dobson was acquired in the summer of 2025 with that goal in mind. But a year later, the Habs haven't had the same success.

In reality, it seems the club will have to be prepared to overpay to land another big name. Kent Hughes must hear a lot about Michael Hage and Alexander Zharovsky, but he hasn't (yet?) dared to trade for either of them.

However, according to Arpon Basu, there's another player who's in high demand at the Habs: Adam Engström. The defenseman, who seems truly ready to play in the NHL, is attracting interest from many teams.

And according to Basu, who discussed this during his appearance on the summer edition of Le Retour with Martin Lemay, Engström was actually the Habs player most sought after by opposing teams at the last trade deadline.

We know that Engström, even if he doesn't necessarily have the potential of a Hage or a Zharovsky, is closer to the NHL than those two forwards. He even played 15 games in the big leagues during the 2025–26 season—15 games in which he didn't look bad at all.

If the Habs didn't have such a crowded blue line, Engström would likely be a regular in the NHL. But since the club has depth, it can afford to listen to offers for the defenseman it drafted in the third round in 2022.

So one might wonder if Engström—assuming the Habs want to add talent—could be the kind of player who would tip the scales in a trade. We're talking about a 22-year-old, mobile defenseman who's ready for the NHL and can play on either side: he's worth his weight in gold, you know.

Unless the team decides it makes more sense to keep Engström and trade someone like Kaiden Guhle instead…


In a Nutshell

– It's coming!

– Sean Farrell signs with the Ducks.

– Makes sense.

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