Adam Engström's rise from surprising third-round selection to one of Sweden's top defensive prospects has been something to behold.

By the midway point of last season, he was already playing top-four minutes in the SHL, and this year, his role with Rögle has expanded to the top pair, averaging 20-plus minutes a night and manning the power play.

The result is that Engström's amassed 11 points in 25 games, good for third among all U23 defenceme. A jump from 0.37 points per game to 0.44 points per game is far from a massive leap, but it's still a step in the right direction.

And there's a strong case to be made that with better individual finishing rate, his goal and point totals could easily be higher, considering how many quality chances he's been able to generate.

This is the type of development curve the Montréal Canadiens envisioned when they took a gamble on Engström with the 92nd selection in the 2022 draft.