New York Rangers rookie Adam Fox has been a consistent player on the blue line and has stood out among the younger players on the team.
The scenery might have changed for 21-year-old Adam Fox, but the game remains the same. The New York Rangers couldn’t be happier with his play on the ice.
Fox has been one of the most reliable players for David Quinn, playing on both units of the power-play while also utilizing his speed as a penalty killer.
His numbers speak volumes. He has appeared in all 32 Rangers games this season, recording five goals and 16 points. Of his 11 helpers on the season, seven have come with the man-advantage. He has ice in his veins and it shows in his confidence when passing the puck.
His vision enables the defenseman to make quick decisions on both ends of the ice. He has played with plenty of different partners, which is attributed to his ability to make adjustments throughout games (and within a season).
Fox played in his 30th game of the season last Tuesday against the Los Angeles Kings. As a result, the 2020 third-round pick the Rangers sent to Carolina as part of the trade that landed him on Broadway, has now been upgraded to a 2020 second-round pick. That one is the cherry on top, in addition to the 2019 second-round pick the Rangers traded to Carolina as part of the deal at the end of last season.
The. Rangers head coach couldn’t be happier with the deal now that the team will have traded two second-round selections to Carolina, via Vince A. Mergogliano of Loud.com.
“He’s absolutely worth everything we gave up,” and more,” Quinn said.
Fox was raised on Long Island, NY and grew up a huge Rangers fan. Now that he wears the jersey of his favorite team, he is taking things in stride while thinking about improvement every step of the way.
“It’s nice to show you’re worth trading for,” Fox said. “You want to prove them right and all that, but you just have to play well. Pressure and expectations — it all kind of takes care of itself if you play well. So for me, it’s just focusing on that.”
Quinn has been limited to six defensemen—due to injuries to Marc Staal and Libior Hajek—for most of the season. This has altered Quinn’s natural way of coaching players, since he doesn’t have another defenseman to dress in the event he wanted to sit a guy down for a night.
“One of the things that I’ve been impressed with Adam from the start was his commitment to playing defense and managing his offensive ability — knowing when to get involved offensively,” Quinn said. “I think he’s lost that a little bit lately, and he’s certainly trying to get back on track from that end of it. But you’re talking about a guy who’s had a really good start to his career.”
The defenseman knows the season is a marathon and his goal is to keep the ups and downs of an 82-game schedule even-keeled. This is his first season as a professional and he needs to be prepared for the back-to-back games and a tougher travel schedule with less time off in between games then he is used to.
A true testament to how much faith the coaching staff has in him can be seen with his ice time. He is averaging 18:04 minutes per game, ranking him fourth on the team for defensemen behind Jacob Trouba (22.54), Brady Skjei (20.17) and Anthony DeAngelo (18:40).
Fox should have a long career in New York. He is playing for his favorite team, in one of the biggest cities in the world and in the world’s most favorite arena.
When seeking a player to steer the club in the direction of the playoffs and towards a Stanley Cup championship, look no further than No. 23 in your programs. Adam Fox will be a leader for years to come on Broadway.
