New York Rangers’ 2025-26 Report Cards: Adam Fox

The 2025-26 season was a disappointing one for the New York Rangers, after they entered with hopes of making the playoffs. They did get excellent play from a few stars, including Adam Fox, who played at an elite level, but missed extended time with injuries. New York struggled when he was out of the lineup and finished with the worst record in the Eastern Conference.

Performance This Season

During the 2023-24 season, Fox put up incredible numbers despite missing some time and finished with 17 goals and 56 assists in 72 games. Last season was a down season by his standards, but he still had 10 goals and 51 assists in 74 games, while also playing well defensively. The Rangers traded his long-time defense partner, Ryan Lindgren, to the Colorado Avalanche mid-season, and they struggled to find a partner for him after the trade, as they opted to play K’Andre Miller on the second defense pair.

Ahead of this season, the Rangers traded Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes and then signed lefty Vladislav Gavrikov to a seven-year, $49 million contract. He and Fox formed an excellent defense pair that was able to match up well against opposing team’s top forwards while also creating scoring opportunities at even strength.

Having a steady, defensive-minded partner in Gavrikov allowed Fox to be more aggressive offensively and use his shiftiness, intelligence, and vision to set up teammates both at even strength and on the power play. However, the Rangers struggled offensively early on and did not score enough to consistently win games despite his strong play and excellent goaltending from Igor Shesterkin.

Fox missed a month with an upper-body injury after a heavy hit in a 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Nov. 29. He returned but played just three games before dealing with a lower-body injury, which he did not return from until after the Olympic break on Feb. 26. The Rangers did not have any other offensive defensemen and also missed his strong defensive play. The entire team struggled and went 8-16-3 while he was out.

During the second half of the season, Fox continued to play at a very high level, creating chances offensively while using his positioning and intelligence to make key defensive plays. The team played better once he returned, and they also got a boost from a few rookies. He finished the season with nine goals and 44 assists (including five goals and 19 assists on the power play) in 55 games, while averaging 23:38 in ice time per game.

The Rangers Need to Build Around Fox

When Fox was healthy, the Rangers formed an excellent top defense pair, but his injuries exposed their lack of depth. They need to find another puck-moving defenseman who can contribute on the power play. Entering the season, 23-year-old blueliner Scott Morrow had a chance to step into that role, but he struggled and ended up spending most of the season with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL). Additionally, the only glaring weakness in Fox’s game is his lack of speed, and as a whole, the Rangers do not possess a lot of speed on defense, as Miller was by far their fastest defenseman in 2024-25.

The Rangers did get steady play from 6-foot-4 rookie Matthew Robertson this season, who used his size and reach to his advantage, and rookie Drew Fortescue played well in his first nine NHL games after he signed an entry-level contract late in the season.

The last two seasons have been frustrating as Shesterkin and Fox have played at a very high level, but the Rangers have not come close to making the playoffs. During the second half of the season, they showed more faith in their young players, and they were a faster and more competitive team. The hope is that those young players continue to develop and improve next season.

Overall Grade

Fox gets an A for his play this season, and when he was healthy, he was a difference maker for the Rangers both offensively and defensively. They should feel very confident about their top defense pair as he quickly formed chemistry with Gavrikov. Next season, New York simply needs him to stay healthy, as he was irreplaceable when he missed extended time this season.