2026 Rangers Season Previews: Adam Fox

This article is part of an ongoing series of New York Rangers Season Previews, taking a close look at what we can, and should, expect from each member of the 2026-27 New York Rangers. To read other articles in this series, go here.

The New York Rangers did a lot this summer to upgrade their defense, but the biggest factor for the up coming season is, and will continue to be, the health of their elite defenseman.

Adam Fox is an elite defenseman in the National Hockey League. If you're looking for evidence that disputes that, you won't find it here. You may argue that your preference is for faster players or players who hit more, and that's fine. But, please do not confuse your subjective preference with actual facts.

A lot of things conspired to help the Rangers finish with one of the worst records in the NHL last year, and chief among them were the injuries to Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox. Without Fox in the lineup the Rangers were 8-16-3 (they are 20-23-7 all time when 23 is out of the lineup). The loss of Fox's elite play in every facet of the game was just too much for the team to overcome.

The additions of Marcus Pettersson and Sean Durzi this summer will hopefully take some of the pressure off of Fox, allowing him to play fewer minutes and avoid some of the injuries that have plagued him over the last couple of years.

Previous Performance

Fox is coming off of a season where he played 55 games, recording 53 points (nine goals) along the way. Math is not my strong suit, but even I know that translates to roughly a point per game pace. Specifically, he sat at 0.96 points per game last year. That was tied for fifth best among NHL blueliners with Rasmus Dahlin and Darren Raddysh, behind only Evan Bouchard, Zach Werenski, Cale Makar, and Quinn Hughes.

Want more?

• Of all the players taken in the 2016 NHL Draft, Adam Fox ranks eighth in points scored with 397.
• That would be impressive on its own, but Fox has only played in 461 games. Patrik Laine has played in the next fewest at 537.
• Adam Fox is also the only defenseman on that list. Mikhail Sergachev is next on the list with 348 (in over 600 games played)
• Fox's career points per game average is 0.79. Only seven players taken in that draft have higher points per game totals: Auston Matthews, Matthew Tkachuk, Alex DeBrincat, Jesper Bratt, Clayton Keller, and Patrik Laine.

Now sure, points aren't the be-all and end-all for defensemen. So, how about the defensive side of things?

Well, since you asked:

• With Fox in the lineup, the Rangers were first in the league in terms of limiting high-danger chances. Without him, they were 21st.
• With Fox in the lineup, the Rangers were allowing 2.63 goals per game. Without him, they allowed 3.68 goals per game. (It's worth pointing out that the absence of Igor Shesterkin is likely also a contributing factor to that change.)

Yeah, Adam Fox is kinda great, you guys.

Expectations

If he's healthy, I expect Adam Fox to be what he has been since the day he arrived on Broadway: an elite two-way defender. The quarterback of the power play. The first guy on the ice in overtime or in close-and-late situations, and a guy who leads the team in minutes played.

Now, like I said, hopefully the addition of Sean Durzi will take some of that pressure off of him and allow him to average closer to 2o minutes a game instead of the near 24 minutes he racked up last season. If that's the case, not only could this be a healthy year for Fox, but it could be a huge year for him as well.

Predictions

80 GP | 12 G | 65 A | 77 P

I've mentioned that Sean Durzi will help keep Fox fresh and healthy, but the addition of shooters up front will help Fox as well. How many times have we watched the Rangers on the power play and yelled "shoot the puck" at the television?

Well, with Pavel Dorofeyev taking Artemi Panarin's spot on the ice, that should no longer be an issue. Fox will not be setting up passers; he will be setting up shooters—elite shooters, at that. That will lead to goals, which will lead to Adam Fox setting a career high in points this season. I do expect Fox to miss a couple of games here and there. He's only 28-years-old, but he has played a lot of hockey and injuries do happen.

If he's healthy though, Fox could break the 80 point mark for the first time in his career.

The Bottom Line

Let's finish where we started.

Adam Fox is an elite defenseman in the National Hockey League. The Rangers are a vastly better team when he is in the lineup then they are when he is out of it. Criticisms of him being "too slow" "too small" "not physical enough" are about style, not efficacy.

He is one of the NHL's most effective point generators and one of the NHL's most effective offense suppressors. If he were a free agent this summer he would easily get the $20 million per year that the Colorado Avalanche just handed to Cale Makar.

We are witnessing the best defenseman that this organization has had since Brian Leetch. Enjoy that.