Welcome to an off-season segment for your New York Rangers! It ultimately did not end the way the organization wanted it to, but there was a lot of jog and excitement to say the least. It is summer time for the Rangers, but that does not mean we cannot reminisce on the season. Today we will look at a Adam Fox off-season grade. Check out the other New York Rangers offseason grades.
Report Card: Adam Fox
Up next for the New York Rangers offseason grades is the franchise defensemen. Adam Fox has been nothing but extraordinary on Broadway. In fact, he was one of the best defensemen across the league. Fox has been nominated for the Norris Trophy and has a strong case as to why he should win it. That alone should raise his grade for this segment. Fox was key to the teams success this season, and was heavily counted on with the absence of Ryan Lindgren.
The Season
What a monster season for Adam Fox. This is what makes this New York Rangers offseason grade so special. It is so easy to rave about players in this league as there are so many. And while the talk of the town was Erik Karlsson, Adam Fox deserves to be in the same sentence. Even though he is known for his offensive ability, he has established himself as a solid two-way defenseman. Fox had 72 points this season with 60 of them being assists. In addition, he found the back of the net 12 times and had five game-winning goals.
Other Underlying Impacts
However, there are other things that have made Adam Fox stand out from the pack. Fox was tied for first among defensemen with 88 takeaways. He was fourth in power play assists and assists in general (among defensemen). His offensive ability was off charts and he finished third in xGoals (141.03). In addition, every pair that he was on for the Rangers, had some of the lowest xGoals against. This means that when Fox is out there, suppressing chances and limiting the opposition is happening. It is comforting to have a player who has a 200 foot game and causes headaches for the opponent. A tremendous season for him and worthy of the Norris Trophy.
The Playoffs
Adam Fox tonight:
4 assists
4 blocks
3 hits
1 takeaway
0 giveaways
+2 plus/minus
20:17 TOIThe only defenseman in Rangers history to have multiple 4+ assist games in the playoffs pic.twitter.com/XcWeZduw2m
— RangersMuse (Wake Me Up When September Ends) (@nyrangersmuse) April 19, 2023
There were not a lot of standout players in this series. In fact, there were more players you were concerned about than you raves about. However, Adam Fox was a player you raved about. As noted, the playoffs were not fun for the New York Rangers. They did start the series hot and one player that also caught fire was Adam Fox. Fox had six assists the first two games of the series. In addition, he became the only defenseman in franchise history to have a 4+ assist playoff game. He was incredible. His vision and ability to create plays and find the open man was a treat to watch. Unfortunately, it was an early exit, but Fox was a special player throughout and finished round one with 8 points. Only Chris Kreider finished ahead of him as the two found each other quite often the first two games.
The Verdict
This New York Rangers offseason grade is easy to give. A special season all around like the first few players we did for this segment. Not many players and defenseman have been better than Fox this season. Despite being known for being an offensive specialist, he really has shown brilliance in his defensive game. He is an overall threat when on the ice and will be a treat to watch for years to come. Take a bow Adam Fox, you’ve earned it.
Grade: A+
Main Photo: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
