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New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (Robert Edwards-Imagn Images)

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Rangers’ Adam Fox Off to a Great Start

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Brian Abate | Last updated Oct 27, 2026 4:50 PM ET

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The New York Rangers got off to a 7-3-1 start this season, but they have now lost three games in a row in regulation. They have allowed 18 goals during the three-game losing streak and are missing Igor Shesterkin, who is out for the season with a lower-body injury. Despite New York’s recent struggles, Adam Fox is off to an amazing start, and he deserves credit for his elite play.

Performance This Season

Last season, Fox was excellent when he was healthy, but he spent two stints on long-term injured reserve. The Rangers struggled without him and fell out of playoff contention as losses piled up while he was out of the lineup. Despite the injuries, he still finished with nine goals and 44 assists in 55 games.

Just as he did last season, Fox is playing alongside Vladislav Gavrikov on the Rangers’ top defense pair, and he has gotten off to a great start both offensively and defensively. He has read plays well, made smart pinches in the offensive zone, set up teammates, and gotten shots from the point through traffic and on goal.

Fox has created lots of scoring chances for his teammates on the Rangers’ top power play unit, both by making cross-ice passes and by giving them opportunities to deflect shots from the point and score on rebounds. He scored his first goal of the season on a wrist shot through traffic on the power play during a 6-3 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 26.

Foxy with a beauty for the PPG pic.twitter.com/alceAMpDRQ
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 27, 2026

Fox and Gavrikov have also been strong defensively, limiting scoring chances from the slot, and rarely getting caught out of position. Fox has also used his great vision and playmaking to help the Rangers generate offense at even strength, and he had four assists in their 5-4 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 22. He has one goal and 16 assists in 14 games and is leading the team in points.

Importance for the Rangers

With Shesterkin out for the season, Fox is the Rangers’ best player, and they need him to stay healthy and continue playing at an elite level. Head coach Mike Sullivan is playing him less often on the penalty kill this season to avoid wearing him down, and he is averaging 22:05 in ice time per game this season, which is down from 23:38 last season.

New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (Robert Edwards-Imagn Images)

The Rangers never found a reliable second defense pair last season, so they acquired Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson in separate trades this offseason to form a steady second defense pair. Additionally, 18-year-old rookie Alberts Smits has been solid defensively on the third defense pair.

While the Rangers have more depth on defense than last season, they traded away two of their best forwards, Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck. They acquired Pavel Dorofeyev in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights and signed him to a seven-season, $77 million contract, but he has slumped early in the season.

The Rangers have more depth throughout their lineup this season, but they miss Panarin’s production. They are relying heavily on Fox to produce offensively in addition to helping them hold leads late in close games with strong defensive play. He is off to a great start and has been a difference maker in the first 14 games of the season.

Appreciating Fox

The last few seasons have been disappointing ones for the Rangers as they have missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons and finished with the worst record in the Eastern Conference last season. However, Fox should not be taken for granted, as he has consistently played at an elite level when healthy. He is stepping up this season, and now New York needs other players to do the same to snap this losing streak.

This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

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