The Rangers aren’t entertaining Adam Fox trade chatter, and they made that crystal clear.
Elliotte Friedman reported on yesterday’s 32 Thoughts Podcast that other teams reached out to New York about the star defenseman’s availability, only to get a blunt response from GM Chris Drury. Friedman said Drury “told them to get lost.” Whatever speculation existed about Fox holding a grudge after being left off the United States’ roster for the Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina appears to have been off base, especially with Mike Sullivan and Drury both involved in USA hockey’s decision-making.
Fox, 28, is still right at the center of everything New York does. He’s either the Rangers’ best player or right there with Igor Shesterkin, and he’s clearly their most valuable skater.
The 2021 Norris Trophy winner put up 53 points last season, though he was limited to 55 games because of injury. He’s signed through the 2028-29 season at a $9.5MM cap hit, and given his path to the Rangers through Harvard and his Jericho, New York roots, it would be a shock if he were looking to leave his hometown team.
The Islanders also drew outside interest, with Friedman saying teams checked in on both Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat. That didn’t move GM Mathieu Darche, who had no interest in dealing either center.
The fit is too good, and the value is too obvious. Barzal and Horvat give New York a strong top-six center tandem, and with Brayden Schenn under contract, the Islanders even have the option of sliding Barzal to the wing.
With the cap continuing to rise, their $9.15MM and $8.5MM hits look like assets, not burdens.
In New Jersey, the Devils are still waiting on Utah Mammoth’s decision on Barrett Hayton’s offer sheet, and the outcome remains unclear. What isn’t unclear is how neatly Hayton would fit with the Devils if he becomes available.
Shayna Goldman of The Athletic called him the “3C this team has been missing” over the past few years. Right now, Cody Glass is projected as New Jersey’s No. 3 center, but Goldman noted his “durability concerns,” something Hayton doesn’t bring with him.
The No. 5 overall pick in the 2018 draft has appeared in 149 of 164 possible games over the last two seasons, while adding 30 goals and 71 points in that stretch.
In Other News...
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 🡒]