Much like Matt Rempe, Adam Edstrom’s last few seasons have been completely derailed by injuries. Both signed to identical two year, $975,000 contracts last summer, it seems the Rangers have wanted these two to compete for the 12F/13F spot. Unfortunately Edstrom saw his season cut short, playing just 35 games last season in a fourth line role. Edstrom did wind up returning from injury, but wound up as a healthy scratch as coach Mike Sullivan didn’t necessarily like what he saw from the now 26 year old forward.
Adam Edstrom is a classic case of “what if he could stay healthy.” He has all the tools to be a very effective fourth liner, perhaps even sneaking into a third line role if he puts up more points. His metrics, when healthy, have always been above average, he skates and moves well for his big frame, and he has good offensive instincts. Where it falls apart is with health.
Edstrom missed three months with a lower body injury that he tried to play through, naturally impacting his ability on the ice. It was later revealed that he had a fractured ankle, and he played on it for six weeks before the Rangers forced him to go on LTIR and have surgery. This came less than a year after a significant lower body injury that also required surgery.
The only healthy window we have for Adam Edstrom is from the first 51 games of the 2024-2025 season, before the first lower body injury and subsequent surgery. His last game in 2025-2026 before the next injury (the ankle) was on November 29. Counting back six weeks is October 18, which was the 7th game of the season, a 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens.
Unfortunately for Edstrom, again much like with Rempe, other players are passing him on the depth chart. He’s lost his regular spot to Jaro Chmelar. Noah Laba is here to stay at center. Adam Sykora is sticking in a bottom six role. Gabe Perreault is pushing players down in the lineup. It looks like a choice between Edstrom and Rempe, and we don’t know which way the Rangers are going to go.