Adam Edström Out For Next Few Months With Lower-Body Injury
Adam Edström’s injury leaves a hole in the Rangers’ lineup. Could a rising AHL star be the answer, or will the team opt for stability? Here's what to expect.
The New York Rangers will be without rookie Adam Edström for the foreseeable future after sustaining an injury during Saturday's game against the Boston Bruins.
Rangers say Adam Edström (lower-body) is going to be out for 2 and a half to 3 and a half months.
— Mollie Walker (@mollieewalkerr.bsky.social) 2025-02-04T15:54:07.559Z
Edström has been a bright spot for the Blueshirts in the bottom six, and through 51 games had tallied 5 goals and 4 assists playing 9:16 per game. At 6'6" and 241 pounds he brought a powerful presence to the ice, and he'd been pretty effective keeping his nose clean while still playing a physical game.
The loss of Edström is unfortunate, but the Rangers have options to fill his spot in the lineup. One options is keeping the status quo for the remaining games ahead of the break for the Four Nations Faceoff. Jimmy Vesey had been sitting since January 11th prior to drawing in against the Vegas Golden Knights, and with the break so close Peter Laviolette may not want to break up a winning lineup.
It's also possible that Arthur Kaliyev draws back into the lineup for Vesey, primarily because the Rangers need as much time as possible to evaluate him as a player. He's looked good in a limited sample, and could be part of the team's future
But another top option could and should include Brennan Othmann.
Othmann has five goals in his last six games played for the Hartford Wolf Pack, and is playing with a lot of confidence. Injuries have limited him to just 20 games this year, and in that time he's got a line of 8-6-14. If recalled, he could take a spot on the third line if the Rangers moved Mika Zibanejad back to center, and scratched Jonny Brodzinski or Matt Rempe on the wing.
I think the most likely option is just sticking with the group as it stands today, and hope that Othmann uses the next couple weeks as an opportunity to continue to tear things up in Hartford and force the Rangers' hand.
In any case, it's a huge bummer that they will be without Edström, and here's to hoping he makes a speedy recovery and the players on the bubble make the most of the opportunity created due to his absence.
