The Rangers’ recent slide has put plenty of spotlight on what’s gone wrong, but Adam Fox has been one of the few constants on the blue line. New York is 7-3-1 overall and has now dropped three straight in regulation, surrendering 18 goals in that stretch while Igor Shesterkin is out for the season with a lower-body injury. Even in the middle of that mess, Fox has looked every bit like the Rangers’ driving force.
Through 14 games, Fox has piled up one goal and 16 assists, which puts him atop the team scoring race. He has been running the Rangers’ top defense pair with Vladislav Gavrikov again, and the fit has been strong at both ends. Fox has been reading plays cleanly, jumping into the attack at the right moments, feeding teammates in dangerous spots, and getting pucks through traffic from the point.
His work on the power play has been especially noticeable. Fox has helped create chances with sharp cross-ice passes and by setting up tips and rebound opportunities in front.
He scored his first goal of the season on a wrist shot through traffic on the power play in a 6-3 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 26.
He also turned in a four-assist night in the Rangers’ 5-4 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 22.
Fox and Gavrikov have been just as solid without the puck. They have done a good job limiting looks from the slot and staying organized defensively, which has kept them from getting exposed in dangerous areas. That two-way reliability matters even more with the Rangers leaning so heavily on Fox while Shesterkin is unavailable.
Head coach Mike Sullivan has also trimmed Fox’s penalty-kill workload this season in an effort to keep him fresh. His ice time is down to 22:05 per game, compared with 23:38 last season.
The Rangers did try to shore up the rest of their defense corps over the offseason. They brought in Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson in separate trades to stabilize the second pair, and 18-year-old rookie Alberts Smits has been solid defensively on the third pair. That gives New York more depth than it had last season.
The bigger issue is up front. The Rangers traded Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck, then brought in Pavel Dorofeyev in a deal with the Vegas Golden Knights and signed him to a seven-season, $77 million contract. But Dorofeyev has slumped early.
So while the roster around Fox looks different, the burden on him has only grown. New York needs his offense, his defensive poise, and his ability to hold things together late in close games. Given how the Rangers have started, Fox has already been one of their best answers.
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