Adam Edstrom Takes on Center Role in Rangers’ Win

Adam Edstrom, who was drafted as a center for Sweden, has mainly played as a winger since joining the Rangers. However, everything shifted on Saturday night in Minnesota. At 25 years old, Edstrom returned to center for the first time in the NHL, contributing to a 4-2 victory over the Wild.

Rangers coach Mike Sullivan noted that this was likely Edstrom’s first time returning to that position since his junior U-20 days in Sweden. “I wanted to see what would happen if Eddie had the ability to play in the middle,” Sullivan explained after the Rangers achieved a season-high four-game winning streak. “When you have a 6-foot-7 player who can play center, especially on the fourth line, it can be tough to handle his size, mobility, and reach.” Sullivan also mentioned that teammates J.T. Miller, Vincent Trocheck, and Mika Zibanejad were supportive in the face-off circle, indicating plans to continue exploring Edstrom’s role there.

Despite his limited experience, Edstrom had seven faceoff opportunities in his NHL career, managing to win one out of four while logging 7 minutes and 33 seconds of ice time. Sullivan mentioned they tried to protect him by avoiding defensive draws.

“He hasn’t played much lately…but I thought in terms of his ability to play low in the D-zone, he’s somewhat comfortable in that position. Sometimes, with our wings and how we play, he ends up in similar situations anyway,” Sullivan noted.

He emphasized Edstrom’s size, reach, and skating ability, making him a formidable opponent in close quarters. Sullivan added that it was important not to take rookie winger Jaroslav Schmeral out of the lineup, especially with Miller coming back from injury and center Juuso Parsinen unavailable.

In a subsequent play, Schmeral scored his second goal of the season. “We liked Jaro’s play and wanted to keep him in the lineup,” Sullivan remarked. “We discussed several options and decided to give this a shot.”

The team’s recent performance has been hard to dispute, boasting a 6-1-2 record going into a home game against the Kings. Notably, the Rangers even managed gameplay that was aggressive in protecting their goaltender, Igor Shesterkin, after an incident involving Minnesota’s Joel Eriksson Ek.

Sullivan expressed satisfaction with how hard the team is playing for each other. “They’re having fun and are pleased with what’s going on,” he stated. The success seems to be boosting morale, and players are scoring, indicating that their efforts are being rewarded. “It’s been a year of ups and downs, but right now, there’s a good vibe on the team,” he added.