TORONTO — Adam Edstrom had to tiptoe around the Canadian media brigade that was crowded around linemate and fellow rookie Matt Rempe to get to his locker Saturday morning.
It was far from the first time — and far from the last time — Rempe drew that kind of crowd since his cannonball into the NHL two weeks ago.
Through all those waves made by Rempe, however, Edstrom has been able to quietly settle into his first stint in the big league.
“I’m here to play hockey, and everything around can be a bit overwhelming, so it’s kind of nice that he gets a lot of the attention and I’m kind of floating in the background,” the 6-foot-7 forward told The Post while watching Rempe’s interview scrum from the other side of the room. “But I’m happy for him, and I know he enjoys it. So it’s good.”
Edstrom earned his first Rangers call-up and made his NHL debut just over two whole months before Rempe-mania. After he was sent back down to Hartford, the 23-year-old got hurt three games into his AHL return and didn’t play again until Feb. 10.
Edstrom was back in the Rangers lineup two days later on Feb. 12, before Rempe joined the fun six days later.
The transition to the NHL has largely been what Edstrom expected, he said, noting that he anticipated the uptick in skill and pace.
Ice time has been limited for the Rangers’ fourth line of Edstrom, Rempe and Barclay Goodrow, but the trio has effectively generated some offensive-zone time with an unyielding forecheck.
“I’ve always been a defensive-minded player, but up here, it’s like an extra level,” said the Swede, who has two goals in nine games so far this season. “Everything starts with defense up here. That’s something that I put a lot of pride into to play a strong defense game and I feel like I’ve done that so far.
“Other than that, I’m just trying to play my game. Play the body whenever I the chance and just use my size and my speed for an advantage.”
Having a veteran player such as Goodrow on that line has provided Edstrom and Rempe with a source they can turn to.
In addition to letting the two youngsters pick his brain, Goodrow also took his new linemates out for dinner recently.
The fourth line has a different kind of presence to it since it was first pieced together against the Islanders in the Stadium Series at MetLife Stadium.
With one 6-foot-7 player on one wing and a 6-8 ½ player on the other, it’s impossible not to take notice.
Rempe may be the name that’s circulating around the NHL, but Edstrom has helped make that Rangers line what it’s been, too.
“I like hitting and playing a physical game inside of the game,” Edstrom said before the Rangers’ 4-3 shootout loss to the Maple Leafs. “Remps has done a lot on our line when it comes to fighting and stuff like that, but he’s always out there throwing hits and stuff like that, too. Kind of makes it easy for me and Goodie, as well, we know that he’s the first guy in on the forecheck and he’s going to play the body and we can just go pick up the puck most of the time.”
The two headlining heavyweights of Saturday’s game, the Rangers’ Matt Rempe and the Maple Leafs’ Ryan Reaves, didn’t get on the ice at the same time until later in the first period.
It was anticlimactic when Reaves appeared to say something to Rempe as the 21-year-old paid him no mind and skated away.
They came together again toward the end of the third period, but this time, Rempe accepted after looking over at the Rangers bench.
It was an evenly-matched bout in which both bruisers landed their fair share of blows.