The injuries to Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin didn’t just rattle the Rangers — they detonated the foundation of their season. Combine that with New York’s continued freefall in the standings, and suddenly a team built to contend is skidding toward the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
Predictably, the vultures have begun circling. “Insiders” are checking in with their so‑called sources, firing off forced, uninformed hot takes, and flooding the discourse with speculation about player movement. That’s life when you have a star‑studded roster full of big contracts: the rumor mill never sleeps.
Fans are frustrated, and social media is overflowing with writers and “NHL insiders” who swear they know what’s coming before the March 6 trade deadline. The most absurd narrative gaining traction? That the Rangers are no longer sold on Adam Fox as a franchise cornerstone and are preparing to move on from him.
The rationale — if you can call it that — hinges on an unsubstantiated rumor that Chris Drury aggressively pursued Quinn Hughes. And because the Rangers allegedly kicked the tires on Hughes, the theory goes, Fox must be on the way out.
There are Grand Canyon–sized holes in that logic, but let’s highlight just a few.
The idea that Fox and Hughes couldn’t coexist on the top power‑play unit is laughable. Two elite puck‑moving defensemen would only strengthen PP1 and push high‑end talent to PP2, creating a legitimately terrifying two‑unit setup.
Then there’s the notion that Fox’s Team USA snub somehow proves he’s not a true cornerstone defenseman — and that Drury must secretly agree. This take is so unserious it barely warrants acknowledgment beyond a chuckle.
And even if we suspend reality for a moment, Fox has a full no‑movement clause for the next two seasons, followed by a 16‑team no‑trade list through 2028–29. In other words: don’t hold your breath.
Now, from one elite Ranger with a no‑movement clause to another: Artemi Panarin. The latest rumor claims the Buffalo Sabres are circling him. Cute theory — except for that same pesky NMC.
Panarin and his agent control his future entirely. He wants to win, and if he ever waives his clause, it won’t be to join the Buffalo Sabres. The logic behind this rumor? Jarmo Kekäläinen is Buffalo’s new GM, and he once traded for Panarin in Columbus. What these “insiders” forget to mention is that he also let Panarin walk for nothing and couldn’t convince him to stay when the choice was actually his. But sure — facts and logic be damned.
Could Panarin become a trade candidate if the Rangers completely unravel before March? Yes. But any talk of where he’s going is premature fiction.
And that’s the real issue. Why push narratives that aren’t grounded in reality? Because in today’s “first‑take, hot‑take” ecosystem, NHL media members are incentivized to churn out content — any content — to justify their jobs, drive engagement, and rack up clicks, regardless of whether they believe a word of it.
Other uncorroborated rumors have dragged in Alexis Lafrenière, Braden Schneider, and Brennan Othmann. Throw enough names at the dartboard and eventually one sticks.
This Rangers team still has a pulse, but it’s growing fainter by the day. The opinion that holds the most sway is James Dolan’s, and if he intends to remain patient with this version of the roster. For better or worse, we have to take him at his word until proven otherwise.