Chris Drury didn’t leave much room for interpretation when teams came calling about Adam Fox.
According to Elliotte Friedman on the final episode of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, clubs checked in on the Rangers’ star defenseman, only to get a blunt response from New York. Friedman said the Rangers told interested teams to “get lost.”
“I think teams asked Drury about Adam Fox, and I think he basically told them to get lost,” said Friedman. “You know, I think I like their defense a lot more.”
That update effectively shuts down any lingering doubt about Fox’s place in the Rangers’ plans as the offseason begins to take shape. Drury has already made clear that the team’s approach is a retool, not a rebuild, with the front office looking to move veteran pieces, restock the prospect pool, and add players who can help right away.
The biggest move so far was center Vincent Trocheck, who had been on the trade block for months before being sent to the Utah Mammoth for defenseman Sean Durzi, forward prospect Cole Beaudoin, and a 2027 third-round pick. Beyond Trocheck, there wasn’t much evidence that the Rangers were shopping other major names, but that didn’t stop teams from trying their luck on Fox.
There had been plenty of noise around Fox’s future over the course of the season. The chatter picked up after he was left off the United States’ men’s hockey team for the Winter Olympics, especially with Drury serving as assistant general manager and Mike Sullivan as head coach. Then Fox added more uncertainty by not committing to his future during the season, saying he wanted to see what the Rangers planned to do in the offseason.
For a while, that made things feel unsettled. But the picture looked different by season’s end.
Even though the Rangers finished last in the Eastern Conference, they showed some promise down the stretch, particularly with younger players in the lineup. Fox said afterward that he was “encouraged” by those signs.
His importance to the team was obvious again this past season when injuries kept him out for two separate stretches. The Rangers felt that absence at both ends of the ice. Fox is the quarterback of their top power play unit, and in 55 games he put up nine goals, 44 assists, a plus-5 rating, 74 blocked shots, 36 takeaways, and 24 hits.
For now, the message from Drury is clear: Fox is staying put and remains a central part of the Rangers’ plans. With Durzi, Vladislav Gavrikov, Marcus Pettersson, and potentially Alberts Smits in the mix, Fox is set to anchor a defense that should look very different next season.
In Other News...
Islanders Just Sent A Strong Message About Barzal And Horvat
The Rangers have made it clear they are not entertaining any noise around Adam Fox, even after other teams checked in on his availability. There had been some speculation that Fox might be carrying lingering frustration after being left off the U.S. Olympic roster, but that chatter does not appear to have much footing, and New Yorks stance only reinforces how central he remains to the blue line.
For the Islanders, the message is just as direct with Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat. Despite outside interest, they are not looking to move either center, a sign that the organization still sees both as core pieces rather than names to shop. In a division where rival teams are always probing for leverage, that kind of firm line matters, especially with the Devils also waiting on a separate roster decision elsewhere in the Metro. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Just Created A Tough Early Test For Alberts Smits
The Rangers spent the offseason reshaping their blue line in a way that gives them a much clearer top four, with Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson joining Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov. That kind of depth is a good problem to have, but it also changes the early path for Alberts Smits, the fifth overall pick in the NHL Draft, who arrived with the kind of pedigree that usually points straight toward major minutes.
Elliotte Friedman noted that Smits can still work his way into the picture and that even a third-pairing role could be part of his development rather than a setback. For the Rangers, the real question is not whether Smits has long-term value, but how quickly he can force his way into a crowded defense group and whether he becomes part of the plan as soon as the 2026-27 season. [Read more 🡒]
Chris Kreider Could Be Pulled Back Into A Rangers Debate
Chris Kreiders first season in Anaheim went about as well as the Ducks could have hoped. After the Rangers moved him, he gave them a steady scoring presence, finished with 50 points in 75 games and was part of a team that not only made the playoffs but also won a first-round series. For a player who had been such a familiar figure in New York, it looked like a clean break that worked for everyone involved.
Now the Ducks roster math is getting tighter, and that is where Kreider could get pulled back into the conversation. After the Leo Carlsson offer sheet and Pavel Mintyukov extension, Anaheim may have to clear salary, and Sportsnets Elliotte Friedman suggested Pat Verbeek could be forced to move one or more veterans to make it work. Frank Vatrano and Alex Killorn are also in that mix, which leaves open the possibility that Kreider, once thought to be settled in Orange County, could become part of a new trade debate all over again. [Read more 🡒]