New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury earned some national praise on July 16 as The Athletic released a list of the NHL’s 10 best contracts in terms of “team-friendly” value.
NYR’s 2021 extension of star defenseman Adam Fox ranked fourth overall, and it was also one of Drury’s earliest long-term commitments after taking over as Rangers’ president and general manager in May of 2021.
“The summer of big extensions for young defensemen had players falling into two camps: The ones with great deals and the ones with awful deals,” The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn explained.
“Unsurprisingly, Adam Fox falls into the first camp.”
The Rangers handed Fox a seven-year extension that paid $9.5 million per year in November of 2021. Now, defensemen of the former Norris Trophy winner’s age and caliber are making $11 million per year or higher. And The Athletic’s model projected that Fox’s impact will be worth approximately $15 million per year in future seasons.
“Fox’s 2023-24 campaign really felt like it flew under the radar, mostly as a result of several other defensemen who managed to soar higher,” the writer went on. “Make no mistake though, Fox was still at the very top of his game, setting a career-high in goals (17) and scoring above a point-per-game rate for the first time in his career. Doing that while maintaining his elite defensive standing is what makes him so special, and it’s why he remains one of the league’s best defensemen. He finished top-five in Norris voting for the fourth straight season.”
Luszczyszyn concluded by labeling Fox’s contract an “obvious steal.”
“As the cap rises over the next five years, Fox’s deal should only become more valuable,” he said. “Year-in and year-out, he’s proven to be one of the league’s very best two-way defensemen, and that’s worth way more than his current deal.”
Rangers’ Adam Fox Shot Less in 2023-24 But Was More Efficient
As the Rangers cruised to a President’s Trophy campaign this year, Fox’s game transformed a bit from frequent shooter to efficient offensive facilitator.
The 26-year-old shot the puck less overall in 2023-24, but his shooting percentage skyrocketed to a career-high of 12.4%. For reference, Fox’s shooting percentage hovered around 7.25% the past two years and was as low as 4.9% when the rising star won the Norris.
His 73 points also finished second for his career behind the 2021-22 campaign (74 points), although Fox achieved that total in six more games.
One other notable statistic was Fox’s power play goal count in 2023-24. Prior to this year, his highest power play total for a regular season was 2. During the President’s Trophy run, Fox tallied 6 on the man-advantage.
Lastly, Fox was more physical in 2023-24 — a welcomed sight for Drury. He recorded a career-high 44 hits last year.
Adam Fox’s Playoff Drought Must End for Rangers to Achieve Stanley Cup Run
It became clear that Fox was playing through an injury during the later rounds of the playoffs. On June 12, the New York Post’s Mollie Walker reported that it was a “mild MCL strain” and reaggravated knee injury that had been plaguing the talented defenseman.
“To say it was a complete tear would be inaccurate, but anyone with eyes could see the 26-year-old defenseman was hindered for a majority of the Rangers’ run to the Eastern Conference Final,” Walker added.
Having said that, Fox has now gone two straight postseasons without a goal, tallying 8 assists in each of the past two playoff runs.
This trend matches a similar theme of the Rangers’ core falling short when the pressure is on. And it’d be helpful if Fox ended that postseason goal drought in 2024-25 — assuming NYR makes the playoffs.
Fox had 5 goals and 18 assists when the Rangers made it to the Eastern Conference Finals during the spring of 2022. They still fell short to the Tampa Bay Lightning, but that team felt closer to a Stanley Cup appearance than any other in recent years when you consider the uneven letdown versus the Florida Panthers.
For the Rangers to finally get over the hump next season, they’ll need Fox — among others — to turn it up a notch throughout the playoffs.
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