For the second year in a row, Adam Edstrom had his season derailed by an injury.
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Limited to 51 games during the 2024-25 campaign, the 25-year-old appeared in just 35 games this season after suffering his second long-term injury in 10 months.
Edstrom revealed he competed on a fractured ankle for six weeks before he and the Rangers medical staff decided he undergo surgery in December , keeping him out until early March.
The lower-body injury that ended his season last year also required surgery.
While this latest injury ate up nearly half his season, Edstrom was also a healthy scratch in the final 11 games.
The extended time away from the ice has hindered Edstrom's development, allowing some of his former Wolf Pack teammates to climb the Rangers depth chart and compete for the bottom six role he's occupied since his 2023-24 debut.
Adam Edstrom skates during the Rangers' March 12 game against the Jets. NHLI via Getty Images
"From last year to this year, I feel like I'm getting kind of used to [the injuries], which is not a good thing," he said on breakup day earlier this month. "It's always tough to be out of the lineup like that [as a healthy scratch]. You want to play and you want to contribute. I'm just looking forward to a good summer and then getting into camp and playing well."
After Edstrom spent most of the season on long-term injured reserve, head coach Mike Sullivan tried to work the 6-foot-7 forward back into the lineup.
He slotted back into his usual spot on the left wing of the fourth line before plugging him onto the second line for the March 12 game in Winnipeg .
When that didn't pan out, Sullivan tried Edstrom in the middle of the fourth line .
It was the first time Edstrom skated as a center in the NHL.
It lasted five games.
Playing between Jaroslav Chmelar and Taylor Raddysh and then Chmelar and Jonny Brodzinski , Edstrom and his linemates struggled to generate anything offensively.
His unit with Chmelar and Brodzinski was on the ice for one goal against, per Natural Stat Trick, while neither line scored a single goal during 5-on-5 play.
The Edstrom-to-center experiment was short-lived for a reason, but it also called into question where No. 84 fits in the Rangers lineup going forward.
Adam Edstrom takes a shot during the Rangers' March 16 game against the Kings. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
"I grew up playing center," Edstrom said. "When I went pro, so when I was like 18, that's when I moved out to the wing. It's been a good amount of years since I played center, and it felt kind of new to me. And then especially at the NHL level, like draws, I feel like that was a big difference from when I was taking draws against 17-, 18-year-old kids. I feel like I'm probably more comfortable on the wing as of right now."
Edstrom was moved to center in the first place to accommodate Chmelar, whose play won the coaching staff's affections and demanded a lengthier opportunity.
The 22-year-old made more of an impact in his 28 games (six points) than Edstrom did in his 35 (five points).
It wasn't just from a production standpoint, either.
Chmelar is more physically imposing than Edstrom despite standing three inches shorter and weighing six pounds less.
His overall impact on a game-to-game basis was also much more consistent than the rate Edstrom was going.
As of now, Chmelar is looking like Edstrom's biggest competition going into training camp.
"[Sullivan] has brought up the consistency," Edstrom said. "I mean, just for me, in my own head, I just want to stay healthy. I know I have a lot of good hockey in me. I know I can prove myself at this level. So just stay healthy. Hopefully, I have a good camp and then just play my best hockey."
