Adam Fox is wasting no time putting himself in the same conversation as one of the greatest defensemen in Rangers history.
Through 17 games, Fox has piled up 21 points, and Thursday night’s 3-2 comeback win over Philadelphia gave him a place in franchise record books that only Brian Leetch had occupied before. Fox picked up two assists in the victory, reaching 20 points in just 17 games. That makes him the second-fastest Rangers defenseman ever to hit that mark, trailing only Leetch, who got there in 15 games during the 2000-01 season.
Fox’s second assist of the night pushed him to 21 points on the year, a pace that projects to 104 points over a full season. That would blow past his previous career high of 74 points, set in 2021-22.
For Rangers fans, this is the kind of production they’ve been waiting to see from Fox at this stage of his career. These are supposed to be his prime years, and the expectation is that this level of offensive impact becomes the norm over the next three or four seasons.
The comparison to Leetch is flattering, but there’s still a long way to go before Fox can truly challenge the standard set by No. 2.
Leetch finished with 1,028 career points, including 981 with the Rangers, while Fox sits at 443. That leaves a gap of 585 points, and based on Fox’s current 82-game scoring average, closing it would take about eight more seasons at this level.
If he stays healthy, that kind of climb is possible. And if it happens, the hope is that Fox spends every one of those seasons in blue, with No. 23 on his back and “Rangers” across his chest.
Still, the biggest barrier isn’t points or trophies. It’s the one Leetch already cleared in 1994, when he helped lead Mark Messier and company to the Stanley Cup and won the Conn Smythe Trophy after posting 11 goals, 23 assists and 34 points in 23 playoff games.
Fox has a long road ahead to match that kind of legacy, but this start is hard to ignore. A 21-point burst this early is the kind of run that puts a defenseman on a historic track, and it’s a reminder that Fox’s trajectory is already headed somewhere special.
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The opening came when an injury temporarily cleared a path for Morrow, and now the bigger question is whether he can make the most of it before the roster gets crowded again. Coach Sullivan has made it clear that the lineup will be decided game by game, with the emphasis on whichever players give the Rangers the best chance to win, so Morrows next few outings could carry more weight than his first ones did. [Read more 🡒]
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For the Rangers, that makes every personnel choice feel heavier than it should this early. Chris Drurys recent additions were supposed to stabilize things, but the bigger question is whether the roster is actually built to support the kind of turnaround the team needs, or whether some of the decisions made to get there are already looking shaky as the season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Are Building Something At The Garden Fans Will Notice
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There was also a little extra buzz in the building thanks to the debut of the new Hometown Remix jerseys, which gave the night a fresh look to go with the improved results. New threads do not win games on their own, of course, but for a team trying to make the Garden feel like a real edge again, the combination of style and steadier home ice is exactly the sort of thing fans notice. [Read more 🡒]