The NY Rangers face a complex situation. The team is looking to compete for a playoff spot next season. However, they are also going through a rebuild-lite. Amid the efforts, talk of trading Adam Fox has emerged.
And if the Blueshirts are smart, this could be the best time to pull the trigger.
Fox recently landed as NHL Network’s 13th-best defenseman in the league. That’s a fantastic honor. But it’s also a concerning situation. Fox, a former Norris Trophy winner, was once considered among the NHL’s top-10 blueliners.
He’s 13th now. That’s a signal that his value is slipping. That’s why the NY Rangers would do well to move Fox now, before his value continues to slip.
The premise here is simple. If the organization is serious about moving on from Fox, the only path forward is to trade him while his value remains as high as it ever will be.
Unless Fox suddenly returns to his Norris Trophy form, his value will never be higher. That’s something crucial for the Blueshirts moving forward.
Of course, the conversation would drastically change if the organization sees Fox as a fundamental part of the team’s core moving forward. But that’s something debatable at this point. Fox’s seemingly declining play is what has fueled trade speculation.
That’s why the time to make a move is now.
What Could NY Rangers Realistically Get for Adam Fox?
The big question here is what the NY Rangers could realistically get for Adam Fox. Judging from Chris Drury’s previous moves, the likeliest return would be something like a couple of second-round picks and a mid-tier prospect.
In the best of cases, the Blueshirts could land a late first-rounder and a former high-end prospect.
If that’s all the NY Rangers stand to get for Fox, it’s fair to ask why the team would want to trade him in the first place. The simple answer is cap space. Fox has a $9.5 million cap hit for the next three seasons.
That could very well be the biggest incentive to move Fox, irrespective of the actual return.
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Fox Trade Faces One Complication
The idea of moving Adam Fox now seems like a good idea. The team could get much-needed cap space, while potentially getting a younger replacement. The issue, however, is Fox’s full no-trade clause.
That’s the biggest hurdle the NY Rangers would have to overcome. Now, it should be said that Fox hasn’t seemed too overly convinced to waive his no-trade clause at this point. That could change depending on the circumstances.
So, the likeliest timeline for a Fox trade would be next summer. In 2027, Fox’s full no-trade clause reverts to a 16-team no-trade list. That gives the organization much more flexibility. Nevertheless, it could come at the cost of a decent return.
If Fox’s performance continues to decline, it may cost the NY Rangers a bigger return. But those are the breaks teams have to face when dealing with situations such as trading a once-top-tier player.
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