Introduction
When Rob Ramage spoke about Adam Engström’s absence during development camp this summer, he brought up the busy season the defenceman had just played. “They went to the championship in the SHL, we don’t mind that at all.”
He completed the season alongside former Montreal Canadiens blue-liner Brandon Davidson, which Ramage felt was good for his development. “He needs to improve his defensive play. Brandon was a great pairing for him; kind of a big brother.”
However, Davidson was injured to begin the year, therefore it took time before Engström got his big brother on the ice. A significant problem for Engström, and Rögle as a whole, was that there were too many defencemen of the same type. It meant that he ended up in a defensive role on pairings with two offensive-minded players, something that made his point-production go down. It also led to goals against as the learning curve was steep.
It did result in the desired effect of making Engström a better player in the defensive zone as he had no choice but to adapt. His gap control was what improved the most, and his work along the boards got better compared to the previous season.
Despite the issues with roster construction, the season ended in a deep playoff run, a run that was stopped by eventual Le Mat Trophy-winners Skellefteå AIK, who won 4-1 in the finals, even though the games were closer than the series score seems to imply. Engström continued playing a physical game, and seemed to enjoy the tougher competition and gave as good as he got, no matter what name was on the other jersey.
Overall, the season was a mix of pros and cons for him. He got to practise his defence acumen, albeit not always successfully, and he had to become more responsible. The bad news was that his production flatlined. As described, his job description changed, and he lost a lot of offensive opportunity with his team.
He took on this new role without objection or complaint, which shows his character. In the tumultuous season when Rögle fought to stay out of the relegation series and fired their longtime coach, he took on new responsibilities and did everything he could to help his team, sacrificing his own power-play time and production at the same time.
Voting
The panel all placed Engström within the Top 25, ranking him as high as 11th and as low as 25th. The average score ended up at 16.5, just a tenth above Jordan Harris who ranked 17th.
The community had Engström at 18th, with votes coming in as high as ninth and as low as 39th. The majority of the votes came in from 15th to 22nd, with many members reluctant to rank him higher than 18th as one of the players in the top tiers.
Top 25 Under 25 History
| 2023: #12 | 2022: #40 |
Engström blew the record for largest rise from one year to the next out of the water last summer when he rose from 40th to 12th. Even the jump from 40th to 16th as he stands now would serve as the third-largest overall rise a player has ever experienced.
History of #16
| Year | #16 |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Logan Mailloux |
| 2022 | Mattias Norlinder |
| 2021 | Oliver Kapanen |
| 2020 | Jordan Harris |
| 2019 | Mattias Norlinder |
| 2018 | Josh Brook |
| 2017 | Jake Evans |
| 2016 | Charlie Lindgren |
| 2015 | Daniel Carr |
| 2014 | Greg Pateryn |
| 2013 | Morgan Ellis |
| 2012 | Dalton Thrower |
| 2011 | Brock Trotter |
| 2010 | Aaron Palushaj |
Strengths
Skating has to be mentioned as the first thing that stands out in Engström’s game. Sometimes it even seems like he can skate faster backward than forward. He changes angles and uses his edges to shift and throw off more experienced players with ease. His acceleration is great, getting up to top speed within a few strides. Being a puck-moving defenceman, this obviously helps his case as he can transport the puck up the ice easily, having good control of feet and stick, and an eye on his opponents. Contrary to other high-speed, puck-moving blue-liners, he enters the opposing zone but never really goes deep into it, making sure to keep his focus on the defensive game.
While his shot is good and his passing is crisp, his control and touch of the puck is what stands out. He hides passes and shots well, so defenders have to take both options into account when they cover him. The same control also means that he can deke with ease and he isn’t afraid of taking opponents on. However, when he starts to move, he can sometimes get tunnel vision and not let go of the puck in the right moment.
He loves to battle, and not only in the playoffs. Let’s all remember that he was slated to play in the U20s last season but was too good to be sent down. He has never been given a chance and not taken it when it comes to a role and time on ice.
Weaknesses
Even if he has gotten better in the defensive game, it is still a work in progress. His gap control has become a lot better, he uses his stick to get blade-on-blade, and he covers passing lanes well. He has also started to use his body much more in the defensive zone, pinning opponents to the boards and winning physical board battles. It can be improved, but he took a big step already last year.
It is the play in front of his own net where he really needs to put in the work. He needs to become more physical and box players out, but not use his stick doing it. Something I think has to do with the revolving cast of defence partners last season, he has a tendency to watch the puck a bit too much and lose players, or vice versa: watch players and lose the puck. It was a completely new job he was asked to do last year, but that still stood out enough to be mentioned.
Projection
Engström loves the fight. He never yields, and he will grab the whole hand if you give him a pinky. Many have already pencilled him in on the third pairing for the Laval Rocket, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he plays higher up in the lineup.
He has the physical game. He can play with an edge and he doesn’t shy away from scrums, which should benefit him in North America. The important bit for him is to focus on the defensive side and build from there. With smaller ice, he should be able to play better defensively, however the increased speed could be a challenge.
“If you can keep your head when all about you / Are losing theirs and blaming it on you.” If he can do that, Engström will climb the ladder faster than many expect. This is where the question mark is for me. Can he adjust? Can he keep track of the puck and not lose players, and the other way around? This is where his main focus should be for this season. He has the offence, he just needs to be given the chance to use it with the stacked blue-line pool. I don’t expect an explosion of points, but I do expect him to be a secure, smart player in his first season abroad.
If he hits, he has the chance to become a middle-pairing defenceman at the NHL level, like a Jeff Petry but not an exact copy. He will play his own brand of hockey, and if he is given the chance he will deke while doing it.
Rögle’s assistant coach Max Bohlin joins the podcast to talk about coaching, Martin St-Louis, and of course, Adam Engström
Timestamps:
5:15 – Impression of Martin St-Louis
7:00 – The SHL playoffs
10:00 – Building a team long-term (in Sweden)
11:25 – Commercial Break
11:30 – Adam Engström, strengths and development
23:20 – Brandon Davidson speaks about Engström (prior to the SHL finals)
