Chris Drury isn’t entertaining any Adam Fox chatter.
The New York Rangers general manager has made it clear the star defenseman is not on the market, and according to Elliotte Friedman, the response to teams checking in was as direct as it gets.
On his 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman said clubs have asked about Fox, but Drury shut the conversation down fast.
"I think teams asked Drury about Adam Fox and I think he basically told them to get lost," he said.
That stance makes sense given what Fox still brings. Even in a shortened season last year, he piled up 53 points in 55 games and continued to look like one of the league’s top blue-liners. He’s especially dangerous on the power play, where his value jumps even higher.
At 28 years old, with a $9.5 million annual cap hit, Fox fits the profile of a core piece, not a trade chip. He’s the kind of defenseman teams dream about landing, which is why interest exists in the first place. But if anyone was hoping the Rangers might actually move him, that idea appears dead on arrival.
For Montreal Canadiens fans dreaming about Fox ending up in their market, that door is shut too.
And even in some alternate universe where Fox were available, the price would be enormous. It would take elite prospects and major draft picks to even get a team in the conversation.
The asking price is one thing. Drury’s message is another. Right now, it’s as clear as can be: Adam Fox is staying put.
Fox, 28, is a right-shot defenseman who stands 5-foot-11 and weighs 185 pounds. Over the past three seasons, he has posted 53 points in 55 games, 61 points in 74 games, and 73 points in 72 games.
In Other News...
Canadiens Just Added A Young Defenseman Fans Will Want To Track
The Canadiens have quietly added another name to their defensive pipeline, with Kent Hughes signing Konyushkov and keeping the young blueliner on loan in the KHL for another year before he makes the jump to North America. It is the kind of move Montreal has leaned into as it tries to stock the blue line with players who can grow into NHL roles without being rushed, and this one comes with a profile that has already started to draw attention.
Konyushkovs game and offensive touch have drawn comparisons to Alexandre Carrier, which gives Canadiens fans a pretty clear idea of the type of defender Montreal thinks it may be getting down the road. If he develops the way the organization hopes, he could eventually fit into a similar role on the right side of the blue line, giving the team another mobile, puck-moving option to track closely over the next year. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens May Have Already Drawn A Hard Line With Kirby Dach
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The Canadiens have already put down a $4 million qualifying offer, and the July 30 arbitration hearing is now looming as the next real checkpoint. For Montreal, the hard part is balancing Dachs upside against what he has actually been able to deliver lately, and the comparable on Krebs suggests the club may not be inclined to budge much from its current line. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Still Feel The Sting Of One 2007 Draft Decision
The Canadiens 2007 draft class still stands as one of the franchises most consequential, and not just because of the names they kept. Montreal came out of that year with Max Pacioretty and P.K. Subban, but the decision that continues to linger is the one that sent Ryan McDonagh away before he ever played a game for the team. It was the kind of move that looked like a roster shuffle at the time and has only grown heavier with hindsight.
McDonagh went on to become a fixture in the NHL, later wearing the captains letter with the Rangers and helping Tampa Bay win two Stanley Cups, while the Canadiens return in the deal never delivered the same kind of stability. Scott Gomez arrived with plenty of pedigree, but his time in Montreal never matched the expectations attached to the trade, and the organization eventually moved on. For a franchise that got so much right in that draft year, this one still reads like the missed branch in the road. [Read more 🡒]