Adam Edstrom misses 1st game of season in Rangers’ 4-2 win against Golden Knights

NHL: New York Rangers at Colorado Avalanche
Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Adam Edstrom was out of the New York Rangers’ lineup against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday because of a lower-body injury sustained in a 6-3 loss to the Boston Bruins a day earlier.

Edstrom left the game against the Bruins after playing just six shifts, only two in the second period, for a total of 4:22 of ice time. His last shift ended at 7:51 of the middle period.

“He’s out tonight,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said before the game Sunday. “He’s being evaluated still.”

Jimmy Vesey, who went public about his displeasure with a lack of playing time on Friday, took Edstrom’s place on the fourth line in New York’s 4-2 victory. Arthur Kaliyev, who like Vesey did not dress against the Bruins, was scratched again.

Vesey was held without a point and didn’t have a shot on goal in 12:24 TOI.

Edstrom had one of his season highlights the last time the Rangers and Golden Knights faced each other. He took a pass from Jonny Brodzinski and scored the game-winning goal in New York’s 2-1 win on Jan. 11 at T-Mobile Arena.

Related: 3 Rangers takeaways from 4-2 win against Golden Knights, including Jonathan Quick’s milestone

Adam Edstrom misses 1st game of season with lower-body injury

NHL: Philadelphia Flyers at New York Rangers
Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

Before Sunday, Edstrom had played in all 51 Rangers games in his first full NHL season. The 6-foot-6 Swedish forward has nine points (five goals, four assists), 27 penalty minutes and is minus-5 while averaging 9:16 of ice time. Three of his five goals have come this month, including the game-winner in the Rangers’ 6-1 victory against the Philadelphia Flyers at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 23.

In 62 NHL games, Edstrom has 11 points (seven goals, four assists), 29 penalty minutes and is minus-3 while averaging 9:07 of ice time.

Edstrom has emerged as a defensively reliable fourth-line wing who can lead forecheck effectively and make things happen in front of the opposing net. Even with veteran skaters waiting in the wings, Laviolette has stuck with the 24-year-old, who was the Rangers’ sixth-round pick (No. 161) in the 2019 NHL Draft. He, center Sam Carrick and 6-foot-9 right wing Matt Rempe have been effective in their limited role, especially of late.

Rempe and Edstrom tied the NHL record — set by Boston’s Zdeno Chara and Dougie Hamilton — for the tallest duo to connect on a goal in NHL history when Edstrom set up Rempe’s tally during a 5-0 win against the Ottawa Senators on Jan. 21.

John Kreiser covered his first Rangers game (against the California Golden Seals) in November 1975 and is still going ... More about John Kreiser
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