The New York Rangers will be without star defenseman Adam Fox for an extended period of time, as he heads to the injured reserve list. Now, there is a big gap in the defense, and somebody is going to have to step up to fill his shoes.
That is no easy task, as Fox shares a team lead in points with 26 points, which is made up of three goals and a team-high 23 assists. But, his impact is going to hurt more on the defensive side of the game than anything else.
Who needs to step up in Fox’s absence?
Vladislav Gavrikov
As a part of the first pairing of defenseman, Vladislav Gavrikov is the man now. This is his defense, and until Fox returns, he has to be the best player on this team.
You are not going to get a ton of offense out Gavrikov, not like Fox’s impact, but No. 44 can help out more on the defensive end. It is unclear who will get put on his right-side, but whoever it is will not be able to match Fox in terms of importance to this team. Gavrikov, however, undoubtedly can.
Braden Schneider
For the time being it will be Braden Schneider sliding up to the first pairing with Gavrikov. This could be a defining moment in Schneider’s tenure with the Rangers and with a contract extension looming, he controls his future with the Rangers.
There are some others that could have replaced Fox on the first-pairing, like giving Scott Morrow a reasonable chance to prove himself, or Carson Soucy. But Schneider needs to become what the Rangers envision him to be. Which is a valuable right-handed shot, an offensive-minded defenseman, to complement Fox’s game when No. 23 is not on the ice.
Igor Shesterkin
He might not be a defenseman, but all eyes are on goaltender Igor Shesterkin right now. What will he do with his best defenseman gone for a while. Fox has been injured before, and Shesterkin has stood on his head to make sure the Rangers win games, but this season is different.
This 2025-26 Rangers team is not as sturdy as the 2023-24 squad, or as awful as the 2024-25 team. They are a wildcard, with no real determination of how good or bad they will be at season’s end. At 13-12-2, they are in the race of the Metropolitan Division, and the only way they stay afloat with Fox out is with the stellar play from Shesterkin.
Can he will this team to some much needed wins while Fox recovers?