Adam Fox’s injury is going to get ugly for the Rangers, as there is no immediate replacement in the lineup. In years past the Rangers had K’Andre Miller, Erik Gustafsson, and/or Zac Jones that could at least fill the puck mover role in the short term. Scott Morrow’s usage is going to be a hot topic for the next month or so, as Mike Sullivan is already drawing the ire of fans with his initial decisions for the powerplay. As per usual, I have some thoughts.

1. Scott Morrow’s usage is a hot topic because he was one of the prizes in the K’Andre Miller trade. The Rangers got that coveted second 2026 first round pick, but Morrow was no small part of that trade either. Morrow’s skill set is similar to Fox’s, but of course he’s nowhere near as good. Few are as good as Fox, so that’s just the reality of the situation.

As a right handed puck moving defenseman, Morrow is the natural replacement for Fox in the lineup. There aren’t many that thought he should move to the top pair, but he should have at least been on PP1.

2. There is nothing wrong with Scott Morrow’s usage in the coming games. He’s going to be on the third pair for now, and he frankly hasn’t earned more ice time just yet. He’s been shaky at best, but perhaps some of this is due to playing with a very inconsistent Matthew Robertson, another rookie. Regardless, he hasn’t earned more ice time, so playing him on the third pair is the right move. Urho Vaakanainen would be a better defense partner, but clearly I’m missing something about both Vaakanainen and Robertson right now.

3. Braden Schneider will get the top spot alongside Vlad Gavrikov on the top pair, which is also the right move. This is the time for the Rangers to see what Schneider can do in a bigger role with an elite defensive defenseman. It’s also an opportunity to showcase Schneider for a trade, should it come to it. Schneider is likely the Rangers best trade chip right now. He’s their best bet for a soft landing with Fox’s injury, and Scott Morrow’s usage shouldn’t be a factor in that decision.

4. Scott Morrow’s usage is really only being called out because he won’t be getting PP1 time right away, again something I think is the right move. For starters, Morrow hasn’t played well enough to earn that time. Second, and perhaps more important, five forwards on the powerplay is actually gaining traction as the next logical step for teams without a Fox or a Cale Makar. Why force a defenseman in there who may not be ready?

Sully currently has Artemi Panarin at the point on PP1 with Will Cuylle in front of the net. Mika Zibanejad (off-wing), Vincent Trocheck (bumper), and Alexis Lafreniere (off-wing) round out the new PP1. It makes sense to try this for a game or two before throwing Morrow into the mix. Why force something if it’s not there?

5. Scott Morrow’s usage will be determined by his play. He’s struggled to adjust to the NHL game for the Rangers after some success with Carolina, and his struggles are very obvious when focusing on his play. It’s way too early to rely on possession metrics, since Morrow has just 44:46 TOI this season. This month will be a trial by fire for him which may end with him on PP1 until Fox is healthy.

As an aside: Morrow succeeding and forcing the Rangers to keep him around might expedite a Schneider trade, especially if the latter falters in a 1RD role for the next month.

6. Scott Morrow’s usage, or projected usage tonight against Dallas, isn’t a major issue just yet. It’s more important to let him get a bit more adjusted to the game before throwing him onto a powerplay unit that was already struggling with Fox. Why put the kid in a position to fail?

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