It can be hard to truly judge a player like Steven Fogarty who was just plugged in here and there for the New York Rangers in 2018-19.
Steven Fogarty – Grade Incomplete
We are truly in the offseason business now with the New York Rangers having put their feet up for the second consecutive postseason. That leaves us to run the rule over every Blueshirt to have laced up their skates during 2018-19. Today we grade Steven Fogarty who was more of a passing ship in the night.
His season
After making his NHL debut against the Philadelphia Flyers in the final game of the 2017-18 regular season, Steven Fogarty began this year with the Hartford Wolf Pack in the AHL.
And the center surprised many with a productive start to the season, posting seven goals and seven assists in 19 games for the Wolf Pack.
Considered a shutdown forward, Fogarty isn’t known for his offensive prowess but it caught the attention of Rangers General Manager Jeff Gorton, who handed the 26-year-old a call-up to the NHL on Nov. 19, 2018.
More known for his ability on the penalty kill and being able to disrupt the flow of the opposition, Fogarty wasn’t expected to be an offensive juggernaut during his time with the Rangers, rather a reliable stopgap whilst more notable figures came in and out of the lineup.
And it panned out that way with Fogarty sticking to his defensive assignments, but failing to register a point in ten games, posting a +/- rating of -1.
He averaged just 7:46 of ice time a game and put nine shots on goal, but he was a solid addition to the roster during his short stay in the big league and carried out the jobs asked of him.
Fogarty was sent back down to the AHL on Dec. 11, 2018 and finished the year in good form for the Wolf Pack, ending his season with 52 points (21 goals, 31 assists) in 66 games played for a Hartford team who finished rock bottom of the Atlantic Division.
As a result of that, Fogarty was rewarded with a new one-year deal at the trade deadline, and he remains a solid option for the Rangers if they are hit by injuries or need some grit in the bottom of the lineup.
Why the grade
Steven Fogarty will never be a top-six forward for the Rangers, he’s a bottom nine center who can be placed on the penalty kill and rolled out to offer some grit and toughness.
Therefore, it is hard to really assess Fogarty’s impact during his ten game stint with the Blueshirts given that he had both limited ice time and a reduced role.
He did what what was required of him and that’s all you can ask for, but nine shots on goal and no points in ten games tells its own story.
As a result, given the very small sample size too, it seems fair to give Fogarty an incomplete grade for his work with the New York Rangers in 2018-19.
The numbers
Games: 10
Goals: 0
Assists: 0
Points: 0
Plus/Minus: -1
PIM: 0
FO%: 29.63
ATOI: 7:46
Next Report Card: Alexandar Georgiev