As we continue our offseason coverage, the elephant in the room that we’ve been ignoring so far is the Adam Fox trade decision. Following his Olympic snub and Chris Drury’s horrid team management, Fox was very noncommittal about being a member of the New York Rangers after this season. If Fox requests a trade, then everything we’ve talked about thus far changes. In fact, we would probably see a change in the Rangers draft approach.
With the Rangers going on a nice little run to close out the season, sparked by youth and a new energy in the locker room, it had been assumed that Fox would remain with the Rangers. While he wasn’t saying as much during breakup day, Vince Mercogliano got that impression as well. That can obviously change with a phone call, and it’s safe to assume Drury is preparing for that Adam Fox trade decision.
If Fox stays
If Fox stays, then what we’ve been talking about over the last few weeks likely stays the same. The draft lottery will wind up being the biggest drive of the Rangers offseason plans, as winning the lottery and getting one of Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg changes their priorities when potentially moving Vincent Trocheck, Braden Schneider, and/or Will Borgen.
If not, then the Rangers will wind up with one of the better puck movers in the draft, preferably Chase Reid or Carson Carels. Both are considered close to NHL ready and would likely get long looks at camp. Carels would probably create a logjam at LD, given the emergence of Matthew Robertson and the organization’s desire to get Drew Fortescue into the lineup as soon as possible. But that’s a problem for a different day.
Fox staying certainly makes life easier for the Rangers, especially as they hope to be truly competitive for the 2027-2028 season.
If the Adam Fox trade decision changes course, so do the Rangers
As of now, we are assuming the Adam Fox trade decision is somewhat set that he is staying. Still, we can’t continue to ignore what happens if Drury does something dumb, or if Mike Sullivan says the wrong thing. No one will acknowledge this publicly, but it’s safe to assume there’s still some sting and resentment in being left off Team USA’s roster for far inferior players (Noah Hanifin? Really?).
For the purpose of this article, let’s play out one scenario where the Adam Fox trade decision changes.
Let’s say that the Rangers stay at third overall, knowing they are going to draft Chase Reid if he’s there. The Rangers take him and instantly say they are thrilled because he can be a top pair defenseman. Naturally that can be perceived as a shot at Fox, who changes his mind and wants out.
He is nowhere near this delicate or thin skinned. It’s a silly scenario to see how the Adam Fox trade decision can change and what the Rangers might do to pivot. I highly doubt all this would blow up after an innocuous statement.
Now with Reid in tow, the Rangers would look to move Fox for the Quinn Hughes return of two young, solid NHL players with high ceilings, another solid prospect with a middle-six ceiling, and a 1st round pick. Perhaps Drury calls up old friend Pat Verbeek and gets Mason McTavish, Olen Zellweger, and a 1st round pick.
That changes the ask for Trocheck, who is almost assuredly moved in this scenario. Maybe at that point Drury reconsiders trading one or both of Schneider and Borgen.
The Rangers are a better team with Adam Fox. This is not up for debate. If he requests a trade, then it’s going to be tough to map out how the Rangers can turn things around quickly. That said, if the Adam Fox trade decision changes and he wants to go, there are still paths for this to work out positively for the Rangers. It would certainly make life more challenging for Drury, who would be roasted by fans and media alike for allowing something like this to happen.
Still there’s always room for optimism, even in a scenario like this.
More About:Offseason