Of all the prominent Rangers, the one who's toughest to figure is Adam Fox. Think – you Rangers fans – for a moment about the noble fellow.
1. He wanted so much to be a Ranger that he stiffed – call it an insult if you will – the Calgary Flames who drafted him in 2016. (And, no, they haven't forgotten.) His rationale: His Dad was a MSG season ticket-holder, and Adam grew up a Blueshirt fan.
2. His devotion to the Rangers was evident from the get-go on the ice, from a sparkling rookie season, going forwardl
3. His annexation of the Norris Trophy in 2021 suggested more prizes to come as his game matured and improved.
4. By all rights, this Met Area native seemed a natural for the Rangers captaincy after Jacob Trouba became a discarded Blueshirt.
But that seems so long ago and far away, doesn't it?
Fox's 2024-25 record (10-51-61) looks good on paper but it actually was his lowest full season average since his rookie year. At age 27, he should be at his career peak. Should be, but we can't tell. Can you?
What better proof than this: neither The Maven nor the citizens of Rangerville have the vaguest idea of what kind of Adam Fox the 2025-26 model will be like.
"If he can somehow find his Norris game and energize the power play," says The Old Scout, "real good possibilities are there. But there are areas that need fixing; that's for sure."
Leadership? Forget about it. He's obviously is not considered character-strong enough a personality, otherwise management would have named him captain by now.
Pressing Rangers Questions And Answers When a club like the Rangers finishes in the NHL's subterranean depths, it raises questions that must be answered before the autumn leaves start to fall. (Now don't be a wise guy and tell me that they're falling already.)
Another Norris? No way. He's slipped so far down the NHL Top 50 list he figures to be somewhere between Braden Schen and Brady Skjei.
Spirit? That's what Joe Micheletti said was missing from this past season's team. Fox's spirit is fairly concealed, wouldn't you say?
Maybe this will change for the better under Mike Sullivan. One would hope so.
But all we can say now about Adam Fox is that he remains an enigma – with greatness-in-waiting! Conclusion: Wait 'til next season.
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