Adam Fox’s 2025-2026 season came with a familiar Rangers twist: strong production, a missed chunk of games, and a whole lot of noise that had nothing to do with what he did on the ice.
Fox was limited to 55 games because of injury, but he still put up 9 goals, a team-leading 44 assists, and 53 points. On an 82-game pace, that works out to nearly a point per game, and it likely would have put him atop the Rangers in both points and assists.
The bigger storyline around Fox, though, centered on Bill Guerin’s decision to leave him off Team USA. The team went on to win gold, but Fox’s omission came after what the source describes as a rough four-game stretch in a random exhibition tournament the year before. That created unnecessary drama for both Fox and the Rangers, even if the end result worked out for Team USA.
Strip away the Olympic snub and Fox’s value to New York still jumps off the page. When he was out, the Rangers’ five-on-five play and power play both fell apart.
Braden Schneider stepped in as the 1RD, but he is not Adam Fox, and that gap says plenty about how much Fox means to the team. He may be the most underrated player on the Rangers, and maybe even in the NHL.
Fox’s season wasn’t spotless, but his overall body of work still landed in elite territory. Even on a Rangers team described as a dumpster fire, he posted strong play-driving numbers and strong defensive numbers. The main issue in his game last season showed up in the defensive zone, especially when he was not the one retrieving the puck.
That’s where the retrieval numbers matter. Fox showed strong success when he did recover dump-ins and then get the puck out, but his failed exits per 60 pointed to trouble in other exit situations. It’s a subtle part of his game, but one worth watching more closely next season.
The clearest evidence of Fox’s impact comes from the Rangers’ results with and without him. In all situations, the Rangers scored 86 goals and allowed 43 with Fox on the ice. The team scored 235 goals overall last season, which means 36% of their goals came with Fox out there, even though he missed 27 games.
The defensive side tells a similar story. The Rangers allowed 249 goals overall, and Fox was on the ice for just 43 of them, or 17% of the team’s goals against. That number is affected by the games he missed, but it still underscores how important he was.
Adam Fox had a quietly excellent season, and the criticism around him is badly overstated.
In Other News...
Chris Kreider Could Be Pulled Back Into A Rangers Debate
Chris Kreiders first season in Anaheim looked like a clean break from the Rangers, and in some ways it was. He produced 50 points in 75 games, gave the Ducks a veteran scoring presence and helped them get back to the playoffs, which made the trade look like a win for both sides at the time. But the Ducks have spent the summer adding financial pressure, and the ripple effect from those moves is now putting some familiar names back into the conversation.
Sportsnets Elliotte Friedman has pointed to Pat Verbeek potentially needing to move salary as Anaheim tries to navigate its cap picture, with Frank Vatrano and Alex Killorn also mentioned as possible candidates. If the Ducks have to trim deeper, Kreider is suddenly the kind of player who could draw attention again, which is where this gets interesting for the Rangers. A reunion is not the point right now, but any time a player of Kreiders profile starts drifting back toward the market, New York is going to be part of the discussion. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Just Sent A Warning The Rangers Can't Ignore
The Flyers bold move on restricted free agent Leo Carlsson is the kind of aggressive swing that can ripple across the league, and it should have the Rangers paying attention. Philadelphia has put Anaheim in a tricky spot with a deal the Ducks can match by July 10, and the threat of a major draft-pick payout if they walk away only underscores how far some teams are willing to go to chase impact talent.
For the Rangers, it is another reminder that the Eastern Conference arms race is not slowing down, even after their own offseason work to bolster the roster. New York has added help on multiple fronts, but if the Flyers keep pushing into the market for young, high-end talent, the pressure on the Rangers to keep pace only grows, especially with more roster maneuvering still possible if this offer-sheet gamble does not land the way Philadelphia hopes. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Fans May Finally Have A Center Prospect Worth Believing In
Cole Beaudoin has started to look like the kind of center prospect Rangers fans have been waiting to see take shape. The 2024 first-round pick is a left-shot pivot with size and playmaking touch, and his final junior season with the Barrie Colts gave the organization a real reason to pay attention. As co-captain, he put together a strong year and showed the kind of offensive production that can make a prospect feel less like a long shot and more like a possible answer down the middle.
The bigger question now is how quickly that promise can translate beyond junior hockey, especially with the Rangers center depth picture changing around him. Beaudoins skating and physical game have both taken steps forward, and evaluators are starting to see a player whose ceiling may be higher than originally thought. If he keeps trending the same way, New York may have more than just a useful prospect on its hands. [Read more 🡒]