Adam Fox's return to the lineup on Thursday night was supposed to be something that brought happiness and calm to New York Rangers fans, but all of that faded once the Rangers' elite defender spoke with the media. Fox had been out of the lineup since early January, and this was the first time he was able to comment on the Letter 2.0, and what happens next.
Fox's answer validates Rangers fans worst nightmare
Fox was asked point blank if he wants to stay through a retool, and his answer isn't shocking when you peel back the layers. His response was simply, "I'm just trying to focus on this year right now. That's a conversation when we're done playing games. We're just trying to win games, we didn't do that tonight. That's where my focus is right now"
Adam Fox was asked about his future with the Rangers
— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) February 27, 2026
"I'm just trying to focus on this year right now. That's a conversation when we're done playing games. We're just trying to win games, we didn't do that tonight. That's where my focus is right now" pic.twitter.com/XHCEBRQofK
After reading that quote, or listening to him speak, it is hard not to think that Fox's days in New York could be numbered, and it has more to do with his relationship with the team than it does with the fact that they are entering a retool.
Fox is 28 years old and grew up a fan of the New York Rangers. He manuevered his way to the team, and has been one of the league's best defenders since making his debut. Fox has one Norris Trophy under his belt, and could easily have another, and has been the team's most consistent player this season when healthy. He impacts the game like few others do, and he's living out his childhood dream. That he's now being non committal and leaving the door open for a possible trade is very notable, and speaks to something bigger.
It is fair to question Fox's relationship with the Rangers
Team USA captured Olympic gold in Milan, but the victory celebration feels a bit bittersweet. The glaring omission of Fox from the roster remains a sore spot, made only worse by re-examining Mike Sullivan’s pre-tournament comments. Sullivan delivered a carefully manicured, corporate deflection when asked about Fox’s exclusion, and it was a response that feels significantly more damning now that the dust has settled on the tournament.
When pressed on why the Norris Trophy winner didn't make the cut, Sullivan offered this:
“Adam and I have had a number of conversations around this, and I will keep that conversation between Adam and I. What I will tell you is these teams that are being picked are the best of the best. And there's so many good players and there are very, very difficult decisions that have to be made. It is a collaborative effort on everybody's part. And that's just the reality of the circumstances. We'll do our very best to be as professional and straightforward as we can be with everyone that's involved. But Foxy and I have had a number of conversations, and I'll keep those between us.“
The knife twists hardest with the phrase "best of the best." By labeling the Olympic roster as the "best of the best," Sullivan conceded to the Team USA hockey decision makers that Fox did not belong in that top tier. The public dismissal by Sullivan of his own star defenseman was jarring. It wasn't just generic coach speak, it was a failure to defend or advocate for the most skilled player on his own bench.
At a bare minimum, it feels like his answer could have been more complimentary and defensive of Fox, and his vagueness and deferral to Team USA is something that may have caused a rift. It would be one thing if this were the only set of comments Sullivan made, but then you have what he said after Team USA won gold.
When speaking to the makeup of the team, Sullivan said, "The team was built with personality in the locker room. We were loaded with personality up and down our lineup. There are whisky drinkers and milk drinkers, and we got a lot of whisky drinkers on this team."
Again, this might be a comment that is being looked into too much, but in some ways it feels targeted to those critics who pointed out that players like Fox, Jason Robertson and Cole Caufield were wrongly left home. It cuts even deeper when you consider J.T. Miller made the team, and he's spent the entire season playing compromised after tweaking his groin in training camp.
At the end of the day Team USA won gold, largely on the back of a herculean performance by Connor Hellebuyck, but the decision makers still get to claim their win. But if you look at the initial comments about Sullivan when Fox wasn't selected, and his comments looking at the players who were and weren't selected, it feels like there's something in between the lines screaming.
This is especially true when you look at the approach Jon Cooper publicly took pushing for his guys to make Team Canada, and if not for injuries to Brayden Point and Anthony Cirelli, he would have had his guys in Milan.
Where Fox and Rangers go from here
When you take Sullivan's comments and they are layered alongside Fox's postgame availability, they paint a picture of a potential philosophical divide. The Rangers are currently prioritizing asset management and cap flexibility, and navigating this "Letter 2.0" era requires buy-in from the team's remaining stars. If Fox feels that his standing within the organization’s vision no longer aligns with that of the coaching staff, the upcoming offseason could become a pivotal period for the franchise. If that is truly the case, it would be another disastrous blunder by Chris Drury, and one that fans would never forgive him for.