In the New York Rangers' commanding 6-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets, Adam Edström found himself in unfamiliar territory, stepping into a more prominent role on the ice.
It's been a challenging season for Edström, who had to overcome a significant lower-body injury that abruptly ended his rookie season. Reflecting on his performance back in November, Edström candidly admitted, "Up and down, I know I can produce better hockey than I’ve done so far. Overall, I just feel like I gotta be better when I’m out there."
The 25-year-old forward’s fortunes didn’t immediately turn around, as another lower-body injury landed him on long-term injured reserve. After more than two months on the sidelines, he made his return to the Rangers’ lineup on March 5.
In just his fourth game back, head coach Mike Sullivan decided to shake things up, rewarding Edström with a top-six role alongside Vincent Trocheck and Will Cuylle. This marked a significant shift for Edström, who had primarily been a fixture in the team’s bottom-six unit. It was a role he hadn’t experienced since his days with the Hartford Wolf Pack in the AHL.
Sullivan was confident in Edström’s ability to rise to the occasion. "Eddy's now got a few games under his belt coming off the injury,” Sullivan noted.
“He's a big, strong guy, and he skates really well. I think he has a defensive conscience to his game.
He's hard to play against, just by nature of his physical stature - his size, his skating ability, his reach - and he's a disruptive player on the forecheck."
Sullivan added, "He can make it hard on defensemen. He can force turnovers, and usually he creates opportunity for himself.
When you look at the scoresheet every night at the end of games, Eddy has an uncanny way of ending up on the positive side of that. He creates a lot of opportunities.
And so we thought maybe we would give him a shot up the lineup and see if he can help us in that capacity."
Edström embraced the challenge, clocking a season-high 13:45 on the ice and scoring his first goal since November 24 against the Colorado Avalanche. "It’s always fun,” Edström said about his expanded role. “Troch (Trocheck) and Culles (Cuylle) are great hockey players, and to get that opportunity and that confidence from the coaches means a lot.”
With the Rangers in a phase of retooling and not in playoff contention, Sullivan has been focused on giving younger players more responsibility. Edström seems to be thriving under this new philosophy, which aligns with the organization’s focus on youth development.
Reflecting on his new role, Edström shared, “I think it means a lot. For the confidence, for my own sake, you just gain a little bit more confident and play more minutes and play more important stages of the game. Also, that the coaches look at you that way, they feel like they could give you that confidence, means a lot.”
As the Rangers continue to navigate their season, Edström’s development will be one to watch, as he looks to make the most of his opportunity and contribute to the team’s future.