The New York Rangers suffered several casualties last night in the win over the New York Islanders, but the big news coming out of this game is Adam Fox. The upper-body injury he sustained last night, which saw him fall awkwardly onto his shoulder, has landed him on the injured reserve. Matthew Robertson has been recalled from the Hartford Wolf Pack as a short-term solution to the injuries, but the Jericho, New York native will be a big miss for the Blueshirts on the back end.
Now, the depth across the organization is being tested. Ben Harpur is out long-term in Hartford, and K'Andre Miller, Brandon Scanlin, and Erik Brannstrom are all out day-to-day. New York's entire blueline is going to be tested. Knowing Miller himself isn't even 100%, the Rangers might need to shop for a new blueliner and ensure they have the depth to survive until Fox returns.
We're under the assumption right now that Fox will return this season. While it is unclear whether or not Fox will go under the knife for surgical repair, Fox is expected back before the end of the year. It's leaving the Rangers in a difficult spot because they cannot just go out and add another premier right-shot defenseman. Even if the Rangers could, there isn't another player like Adam Fox in the league, so replacing him isn't an option.
New York will have to find a solution on the powerplay as well. The logical shift on the penalty kill will see Braden Schneider, Urho Vaakanainen, and some of the injury replacements slot into that special teams role. However, only one defenseman plays on the powerplay, and without Fox, there is no clear indicator of who it should be. K'Andre Miller's day-to-day, but the most logical solution; otherwise, it could be any of the remaining players.
One thing is for sure: New York's coming weeks will be interesting. The trade deadline is looming, and the Blueshirts need bodies on the back end. Without Fox, there will be issues on special teams and 5-on-5, and the Rangers will be forced to adjust.