Canadiens' prospect report: Europe

MONTREAL - From sharp-shooting forwards to a puck-moving defenseman and a towering goalie, the Habs' crop of oversea talent is in fine form… and remember, this doesn't include the Juraj Slafkovskys and Filip Mesars of the world.

Seven players in Montreal's pipeline showcased their skillsets in Finnish, Swedish, and Russian leagues this season and while the quantity isn't particularly overwhelming, the quality is.

The same could be said for those who've already made their way to North America.

This season, Europeans made up 28% of all NHL skaters, but 50% of the top-20 scorers.

Between the pipes, they accounted for 45.8% of goalies this year but were responsible for 70% of netminders in the top-10 in wins and save percentage.

Take a minute to digest those numbers and you'll notice Europeans are cornerstone pieces in the League's modern era.

Here's a look at how our prospects fared this season on the other side of the Atlantic:

Emil Heineman, Forward, Leksands IF
Drafted 43rd overall by Florida in 2020

Emil Heineman posted 8-7-15 totals in 35 games in his third full season with Leksands IF in the Swedish Hockey League.

The numbers aren't off the charts by any means, but it's all relative. For a 21-year-old playing on the second-lowest scoring team in what's widely considered the third or fourth-best hockey league in the world, his productivity wasn't all that concerning.

"He wasn't getting an unbelievable opportunity with Leksands [in Sweden], but when he came over here, everybody loves him. We knew that his game would be more transferable to our game on these sheets here," said the Canadiens' director of hockey development Adam Nicholas during a live Q&A on Twitch on May 9.

The whispers that were circulating about his scoring ability were put to bed when he arrived in North America. Heineman silenced the critics with seven goals in 11 games, including a number of timely tallies for the Laval Rocket in their push for the playoffs.

The winger also recorded three goals in as many games for Sweden on the international stage this season.

Adam Engstrom, Defenseman, Rogle BK
Drafted 92nd overall by Montreal in 2022

Sticking in the SHL, Adam Engstrom turned heads in his rookie season with Rogle BK.

The Swedish defenseman scored six goals and added 10 assists in 43 games as a 19-year-old with the professional club, to go with an additional two points in Champions Hockey League play.

At the junior level, Engstrom produced at a 1.86 point-per-game rate in seven outings.

"We feel like we got something here with Adam Engstrom. He's got a lot of unbelievable KPIs (key performance indicators) that we like. He's got great edge work, his hands, his reach, his range, he's a very intelligent player from an offensive side. But this a case where we want to enhance his defensive side," Nicholas said.

"He's got great footwork and he's really good with the puck, he can really rip it around. So, he'll have some learning to do, but his intensity is there and his compete is there. Those intangibles are there, so he's not going to have to learn that. He's just going to have to learn the when to and when not to in the timing of this game."

Engstrom also represented Sweden at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship where he registered a tally and a pair of helpers in seven games.

Frederik Dichow, Goalie, Frolunda HC
Drafted 138th overall by Montreal in 2019

Frederik Dichow played in a backup role for Frolunda HC in his first full season in the SHL.

The 6-foot-5 netminder owned an 8-7-0 record, a 2.76 goals-against average and .899 save percentage with the Swedish club in league play. Flipping the switch to the Champions Hockey League, the Dane posted an undefeated 3-0-0 showing with a 1.95 GAA and .917 SV%.

Oliver Kapanen, Forward, KalPa
Drafted 64th overall by Montreal in 2021

Let's head east to Finland where Oliver Kapanen played his sophomore season with KalPa in the Liiga.

On paper, the Finn's growth was evident, as he upped his numbers considerably, recording 12 goals and 27 points in 55 games for his club as a 19-year-old.

Kapanen's leadership qualities aren't reflected on the scoresheet but were made evident by the 'C' he wore for Finland at this year's World Juniors, where he scored two goals and added a helper for his country.

Petteri Nurmi, Defenseman, HPK
Drafted 194th overall by Montreal in 2022

The Helsinki, Finland native wrapped up a second season with HPK in the Liiga in 2022-23.

Though not largely known for posing an offensive threat on the blue line, Nurmi's point production saw a 275% increase this season in 10 fewer games.

The Finn totaled 15 points (one goal, 14 assists) in 48 games.

Dmitri Kostenko, Defenseman, Kunlun Red Star
Drafted 87th overall by Montreal in 2021

Moving over to the Kontinental Hockey League, Dmitri Kostenko made his pro debut with the Kunlun Red Star, a club based out of Beijing.

Still only 20 years of age, the Russian defender managed two goals and two assists in his rookie season but, perhaps more importantly for his development, played 52 games in a professional hockey league.

Alexander Gordin, Forward, HK Rostov
Drafted 171st overall by Montreal in 2020

This season, Alexander Gordin spent time between HK Sochi in the KHL and HK Rostov in the VHL (equivalent to the AHL in North America).

Playing as a member of HK Sochi, the Russian forward scored one goal and added a helper in six games. At the minor league level, the 21-year-old notched eight goals to go along with four assists in 36 games.

Stay tuned for the next Canadiens prospect report when we check in on our youngsters in the Canadian Hockey League.