This Rangers defenseman should outperform his NHL Network ranking

The numbers mostly say no. Natural Stat Trick tracks possession metrics both in quantity and by rate. At five-on-five, Fox actually saw an increase in shot attempts per 60 minutes (up 3.6 year-over-year) and a decrease in shot attempts against per 60 minutes (down 1.86 year-over-year) while on the ice compared to past years. 

When Fox was on the ice, the Rangers possession of the puck increased. This is reflected in nearly every number tracked. Fox saw an increase in high danger chances per 60 minutes (up 1.17 year-over-year) and a decrease in high danger chances allowed per 60 minutes (down 0.13 year-over-year). 

This is particularly notable because Fox saw his defensive contributions improve on a team who collapsed defensively down the stretch. In a year where basically everyone on the Rangers declined defensively, Fox's numbers actually improved. 

This is also reflected in Natural Stat Trick's expected goals (xGF/xGA) number, where Fox saw an increase in xGF/60 and a decrease in xGA/60. Translated: the numbers show a player getting better even as the team around him got significantly worse. 

Fox finished fifth in the league among defenseman (at least 200 minutes played) in points per 60 minutes at five-on-five. He did this while playing with a rotating crop of partners, playing at least 50 minutes with Ryan Lindgren, Carson Soucy, K'Andre Miller and Urho Vaakanainen. Fox was hardly sheltered for competition, playing the second-most minutes per night for the Rangers at five-on-five among defenseman. Depending on the night, he was deployed as either their top pair defender or on the second pair.

Fox's big drop-off was on the power play, where he scored 15 fewer points. The Rangers power play collapsing following years of being at or near the top of the league played a huge role in the team's overall collapse. So, in that respect, Fox took a step back. 

Should the blame for that primarily go to Fox? The Rangers went 2-for-26 (7.7%) on the power play in the eight games Fox missed. They were 35-for-184 with Fox (19.0%). That's still low compared to season's past, but it seems like the Rangers power play might have had issues far bigger than Fox. 

If last year was a down year for Fox and he was still this good, there's probably another Norris campaign in the league's "16th best defenseman." Rangers GM Chris Drury signed the top defensive defenseman from the best defensive team in the league last season in Vladislav Gavirkov, hired a two-time winning Stanley Cup head coach in Mike Sullivan and brought back former head coach David Quinn as an assistant (who coached Fox during his Norris season).

He doesn't have the flashy speed of a Cale Makar or Quinn Hughes, but perhaps the league should be on notice for Fox this season.