The Nashville Predators may have found a real gem in a move that barely registered around the league.
Early in the offseason, Nashville sent Massimo Rizzo and a fifth-round pick to the New York Rangers for Adam Edstrom, a deal that looked like a depth swing at the time. Fifteen games into the season, it’s starting to look a lot more like a win. General Manager Chris MacFarland has already made 11 trades since taking over, and this one is beginning to stand out.
Edstrom was brought in to help add size and speed to the forward group, and at 6-foot-7, he checked plenty of boxes right away. He’s also filled a need on the penalty kill after the departures of longtime PK options Cole Smith, Michael McCarron, and Colton Sissons. Andrew Brunette has leaned on him there, and Edstrom has responded with two shorthanded goals while helping Nashville’s penalty kill become the league’s third best.
His offensive numbers have been just as eye-catching. Edstrom has six goals, which already tops his previous career high of five, a mark that took him 51 games to reach. He’s third on the team in goals and fifth in points, and he’s currently riding a three-game point streak with three points during that span.
The physical side of his game has shown up too. Edstrom has delivered 71 hits, a rate of 4.73 per game, making him a player opponents feel quickly once he steps on the ice.
He’s also become a steady scoring threat in the offensive zone, with NHL Edge Stats placing him in the 93rd percentile in high danger shots. In speed bursts over 20 MPH, he ranks in the 95th percentile as well.
That production has earned him more trust from Brunette, and his ice time has climbed steadily since his season debut. Skating alongside Jack Drury and Ross Colton, two more offseason additions, Edstrom has been part of one of the lineup’s most stable groups despite all the recent roster shuffling and the 11 forward, 7 defensemen setup Nashville has used.
That line has done real work, posting a 55% shots-for percentage and a 60.5% Corsi-for, according to Dobber’s Frozen Tools. It’s become one of the coaching staff’s go-to combinations in games, and it’s given the Predators a reliable pocket of production in a lineup that has needed plenty of tinkering.
Nashville’s recent win over the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes pushed the club into a wildcard spot, and Edstrom was in the middle of that too. He finished with one goal and eight hits, another reminder that he keeps finding ways to show up on the scoresheet and in the physical battle. For a trade that flew under the radar, it’s already paying off in a big way.
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