Adam Fox dominant start proves all the national disrespect was completely ridiculous

Adam Fox is one of the premier players in the NHL, and despite the absurd level of consistency and greatness he has shown since stepping onto Broadway, it hasn't stopped him from enduring endless, bad-faith scrutiny about his game.

Through the first 13 games of the 2026-27 season, Fox has racked up 16 assists. That puts him second across the entire league, trailing only Connor McDavid. Fox also ranks 12th in the NHL in overall scoring, operating at a blistering 1.23 points-per-game pace. If the hockey world has been paying attention to October, it is time for everyone to remember who he is and place him right back at the top of the Norris Trophy discussion.

Historic company and unmatched consistency

Fox established himself as the New York Rangers' undisputed top defenseman from the opening weeks of his rookie season. He then turned the hockey world on its head by capturing the Norris Trophy in just his second pro campaign. Across the entire history of the NHL, capturing a Norris by year two has only been achieved by Fox and Hall of Famer Bobby Orr. That is about as elite as company gets.

The brilliance of Fox’s game lies in his unmatched year-to-year consistency. His underlying analytical profile never fluctuates into danger. The lowest Goals For percentage (GF%) he has ever posted in a single season is 54.14%. He has maintained an on-ice Corsi For percentage (CF%) above 50.00% in all but one season, and his career-worst Expected Goals For percentage (xGF%) was a pristine 50.59% during the 2021-22 campaign per Evolving-Hockey.

Fox is actually quite good at defending

Detractors love to push the tired, lazy narrative that Fox is a defensive liability who costs his team games in his own zone. The actual data couldn't be further from that claim.

Looking at the opposition goals allowed per 60 minutes with Fox on the ice since entering the league, the numbers tell an undeniable story: 2.27, 1.93, 2.32, 1.96, 1.85, 2.29, 2.03, and 2.74 this season.

A casual observer might point to that 2.74 mark this year as a potential outlier. While it is higher than his career norm, context matters: Fox is logging those minutes without Igor Shesterkin behind him and in front of a rookie goaltender finding his footing. More importantly, Fox is driving 3.85 Goals For per 60 minutes at the exact same time. He remains a decisive net-positive of +1.11 goals per 60 minutes.

That is the biggest evolution in his game this fall. Not only is Fox banking assists at an elite rate, but he is tilting the ice and driving 5v5 transition offense in a way he hasn't before. He is still providing the cerebral defensive stick work and poise that wins hockey games, but he is now doing it with an offensive flash that demands national attention.

Fox has been quite efficienct with managed minutes

What makes this heater even more impressive is how little he has relied on special teams, and that's another thing that is likely driving his haters crazy since they love to brand him as a PP merchant.

Only three of Fox's 16 assists have come on the power play. He also has a shorthanded assist in under 12 minutes of penalty kill duty which is a milestone that took him 54 games last year and 73 the year prior. The Rangers are making a clear effort not to utilize him on the PK, and that he's already found a way to log a point here is quite impressive.

Another thing worth mentioning is how well Mike Sullivan has utilized him with brilliant efficiency. Fox is averaging 21:54 of ice time per night, his lowest workload since his rookie season (18:54). By keeping his legs fresh alongside Marcus Pettersson and Vladislav Gavrikov, Sullivan is getting the absolute best version of Fox without running him into the ground. A rested Fox bodes exceptionally well for the Rangers as the marathon season wears on.

The apology needs to be as loud as the disrespect

The Rangers return to Madison Square Garden tonight against the Los Angeles Kings before heading into an extended breather. After that, the schedule turns chaotic: a brutal stretch of seven games in 13 days featuring a Western Canada road trip through Seattle, Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver. Navigating that road trip will be far easier if No. 23 continues to play like an Hart Trophy candidate.

Last season was an odd, disjointed year for Fox due to injuries, but he was still a point-per-game machine when healthy. Maybe that absence caused short-term memory loss across the league. Maybe people let their brains get warped by the 4 Nations drama and the subsequent Olympic roster noise for Team USA.

None of that matters right now, although I still will continue to get on a soapbox and remind people how wrong they continue to be about Fox, and how he's underrated at a time while others are simultaneously overrated.

Fox is continuing to remind the world on a nightly basis that he's always been that guy. The only thing that needs to follow is the appreciation that has been rightly earned, and that needs to be as loud as the disrespect that had been thrown his way. If you think I am laying it on too thick... just consider NHL dot com's initial listing for the Norris Trophy tracker.

Voting totals (points awarded on a 5-4-3-2-1-basis): Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche, 70 (11 first-place votes); Quinn Hughes, Minnesota Wild, 51 (two first-place votes); Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets, 36; Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres, 29 (three first-place votes); Lane Hutson, Montreal Canadiens, 24; Matthew Schaefer, New York Islanders, 14; Evan Bouchard, Edmonton Oilers, 7; Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars, 3; Jake Sanderson, Ottawa Senators, 3; Moritz Seider, Detroit Red Wings, 2; Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning, 1

I am willing to bet Fox's gets at least one vote next go-around... I will be even as bold to suggest he might get two. ;)

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow