Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn ImagesWill Adam Edström return to the New York Rangers' lineup soon?
Despite being fully cleared to play and having participated in a couple of practices out of the Olympic break, Mike Sullivan still hasn’t inserted Edström back into the lineup.
The last time Edström played was in a game on Nov. 29 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, as he was placed on long-term injured reserve in December due to a lower-body injury.
The 25-year-old rejoined the team at practice toward the tail end of the Olympic break in a non-contact jersey, which he quickly shed when he was cleared for full contact.
Mike Sullivan isn't quite ready to throw Edström back into the fold.
“It’s more performance-based at this point,” Sullivan said about why he hasn’t inserted Edström back into the lineup. “We are trying to get him some team practices, he hasn’t played in a long time. From a health standpoint, he’s been cleared to play, and then it’s more about conditioning, getting his timing back, getting him into team settings, group settings, puck battles, things of that nature.”
In the two games out of the Olympic break, Brendan Brisson has carved out a role in the lineup, playing in the Rangers’ bottom six, while also serving on the second power-play unit.
Right now, Brisson is essentially going through a tryout period where he’s looking to prove he’s capable of playing at the NHL level, and so far, Sullivan likes what he brings to the table offensively.
“Brendan has some offensive instincts. I think he shoots the puck really well,” Sullivan said. “He sees the game offensively pretty well. I think there are elements in his game where we are trying to help him like in the puck pursuit aspect of his game, staying close in the offensive zone, getting in on the forecheck, disrupting plays, and then maybe some structural stuff on the defensive zone or play without the puck.
“We clearly see his playmaking ability, his ability to shoot the puck… I think that’s the element to his game that he can bring to the team, that’s part of the reason we used him on the second power play. His shooting ability, his playmaking ability, he has those instincts.”
The Rangers also inserted Tye Kartye into the lineup on Saturday upon claiming him off waivers from the Seattle Kraken on Friday.
“I thought Tye played well considering he had to travel across the country, and we threw him right in the lineup and in an afternoon game, I thought he played really well,” Sullivan said. “I thought he played with some energy, he has a good motor, he skates, he’s good on the forecheck.
“It’s basically everything that Chris (Drury) and I had the conversation about when we acquired him, that this was the type of game that he is going to bring to our group.”
Edström will likely remain out of the lineup on Monday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets, while Brendan Brisson and Tye Kartye are both slated to play.