At the beginning of 2024, several journalists have analyzed the first half of the Montreal Canadiens' season. However, given that the organization is currently in a rebuilding phase, the esteemed Marc-Antoine Godin chose to focus on the team's future, making predictions about what could happen with the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge this year.
According to him, it wouldn't be surprising to see two European prospects arriving in North America in the coming weeks. He believes that defensemen David Reinbacher and Adam Engstrom could sign their entry-level contracts to join either the Montreal Canadiens or the Laval Rocket for the final stretch of the season.
The arrival of David Reinbacher wouldn't be a huge surprise, as he was selected fifth overall last summer. Despite a more challenging season than in 2022-2023, the Austrian defenseman certainly has the level of play to succeed in the American League. It would be fascinating to see him take his first steps in the professional ranks, to get a more objective assessment of his progress.
As for Adam Engstrom, it's rather surprising that he could already make his debut with the organization, having been drafted in the third round two years ago. However, the Swede is having a great season with Rögle BK in the SweHL, accumulating two goals and twelve assists (12 points) in 34 games. Despite his young age, the 20-year-old defenseman is capable of producing very impressive offensive numbers against Sweden's top players, with a total of 30 points in 74 games over the last two years.
Certainly, it will be very interesting to see what Kent Hughes decides to do in the coming weeks, as he could give a serious boost to the Laval Rocket in their playoff run with these two additions.
