Rangers' Adam Edstrom, Sam Carrick earning coach Peter Laviolette's trust

GREENBURGH — The sample size is small. Eight matches into an 82-game season is essentially one-tenth of the season.

Although it is not exactly a trend, it is notable that two of the newest Rangers — Sam Carrick and Adam Edstrom — appear to be earning Peter Laviolette’s trust.

“It’s a role situation for me,” Laviolette told Newsday before the Rangers’ optional practice Sunday morning at the MSG Training Center.

Entering training camp, what was known was that the Rangers had five players vying for one of the three jobs on the fourth line: Carrick, who was signed to a three-year, $3 million free-agent deal on July 1; wingers Jimmy Vesey and Jonny Brodzinski, and the towering rookie duo of Edstrom and Matt Rempe.

As camp progressed, Vesey suffered a lower-body injury. He has not played in the regular season, although he wore a green no-contact jersey during practice.

Vesey’s injury allowed the Rangers to open the season with Carrick centering some combination of Brodzinski, Edstrom and Rempe, depending on how an opponent was constructed.

What has become evident in relatively short order is Laviolette’s comfort with Edstrom skating on Carrick’s left side.

“They’re both players that I think defend well and can defend well. Sam’s new. Adam’s new and young,” Laviolette said. “Adam’s done a really good job of making an impact from his time at rookie camp to our [training] camp to the regular season and really came out and earned an opportunity. Sam was brought here for that reason. We knew we needed a fourth-line center. He came in. He filled that role and [has] done a good job.”

According to data culled by NaturalStatTrick.com, Edstrom and Carrick have been on the ice together at five-on-five for 54:33 this season. In that time, they have outscored opponents 2-0 and have a 34-24 advantage in scoring chances.

Why are they working so well together?

“Our basic game is pretty simple,” Edstrom said. “We both buy into that solid defensive play, and I feel like every game we play together, that chemistry grows more and more. I’m looking forward to getting more games here and keep [it] going.”

That shouldn’t be much of a problem. After Thursday night’s loss to the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers, the Rangers assigned Rempe to AHL Hartford. He had played in only two of seven games this season, and with Vesey likely to come off LTIR shortly, the Rangers will have 13 forwards.

That means Laviolette will have to find ice time for Vesey, Brodzinski and Edstrom. And while that is not in Carrick’s pay grade, he did vouch for the rookie winger.

“He’s a good player,” Carrick said. “He’s easy to play with. He’s just a great athlete. He’s fast. He’s got great size, gets in on the forecheck and he’s got a lot of skill, too. He makes it easy out there.”

Notes & quotes: Along with Carrick, Edstrom and Vesey, Brodzinski, Chris Kreider, Igor Shesterkin, Victor Mancini and Zac Jones skated Sunday.