Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes remains in the market for a new forward. The club was heavily linked with Kirill Marchenko throughout the offseason. Montreal was even previously considered the favorites to acquire the Russian star. Nevertheless, the Toronto Maple Leafs ultimately offered the Columbus Blue Jackets a better deal and landed the winger.
With Marchenko off the board, Hughes and the Canadiens have to move on to other forwards. While it remains to be seen who Montreal will target next, the team’s trade chips are taking shape. NHL journalist Marco D’Amico is hinting that Adam Engstrom could soon be traded by the Canadiens. “Adam Engstrom is a name to keep an eye on. That’s all I’ve got to say,” D’Amico said on his latest podcast.
The insider’s cohost, Shaun Starr, however, ultimately pushed his colleague to expand on the remark. “I’m not saying that anything is imminent necessarily, but Arpon Basu already put out an article in August that the Canadiens were very much looking to use Adam Engstrom as a trade chip to improve up front,” continued D’Amico. “It hasn’t changed.”
The Montreal Canadiens have a plethora of blueliners, but lack serious depth in their forward group. Because of this, Hughes is willing to offload a defenseman such as Engstrom to help bring in a top-six forward. A center would obviously be an ideal target, but Montreal is willing to also acquire a winger. The Marchenko pursuit clearly proves this.
Montreal Canadiens Willing to Part With Adam Engstrom due to Depth
The Montreal Canadiens recently announced their opening night roster, and it included Engstrom. With Kaiden Guhle sidelined with an injury, head coach Martin St. Louis had to bring up an additional defenseman. The final roster spot in the position came down to a battle between Engstrom and David Reinbacher. Although Engstrom received the nod, Reinbacher is viewed as the better prospect.
Despite this, D’Amico claimed that Montreal chose Engstrom because he has more pro experience than Reinbacher. Nevertheless, the insider also revealed that Reinbacher is likely to start the 2026-27 season in the NHL if the Canadiens were to make a trade soon. Engstrom is clearly on the trade block in Montreal. The blueliner is set to enter his final season of a three-year, $2.85 million contract.
Along with Reinbacher, the Montreal Canadiens have other young blueliners waiting in the wings if Engstrom is dealt. Bryce Pickford and Tim Runtso are highly rated defensive prospects within the organization. D’Amico also points out that Luke Mittelstadt impressed during training camp. The 23-year-old former seventh-round draft pick had five points in just nine games with Laval Rocket last season.
Montreal Eyeing Final Piece of the Puzzle
The Montreal Canadiens are expected to be Cup contenders heading into the 2026-27 campaign. After all, the young team reached the Eastern Conference finals in the spring and is returning with essentially the same roster. Hughes has also already brought in veteran forward Chris Kreider to give his roster some much-needed postseason experience.
However, Montreal is not done looking to improve its forward group. The Canadiens also have Michael Hage set to enter the fray once his season at the University of Michigan ends. The center/winger is expected to join Montreal in April of 2027.
Canadiens Expected to Trade $2.85 Million Defenseman Soon