Rangers Stock Up & Stock Down: Who stood out in October 2025

It was an up and down month for the Rangers to debut their centennial season. On one hand, the Rangers mightly struggled at home; getting shutout in three straight games at Madison Square Garden and only registering six goals in all. On the other hand however, the Rangers played fantastic on the road going 5-1-1 with a +7 goal differential and finishing first in the league in their expected goal percentage with a 59.40%. Overall the Rangers were 5-5-2, and during this stretch there were quite a few notable players to take note of, both good and poor.

Stock Up

Will Borgen

If you were told during the summer that Will Borgen through the first month of the season was the Rangers best defensive defenseman, how would you react? Borgen was always a solid defender, but in October he took it to another gear; ranking fifth on the team and fourteenth in the entire NHL in his expected goals against per sixty (xGA/60), Will Borgen was one of the best shutdown defenders in the league. To add, Borgen's expected goal's share (xGF%) was thirteenth among all defenseman. His play has been underratedly outstanding and it's time for many to acknowledge Borgen as a legit top four pair defenseman in the NHL.

Adam Fox

After a disastrous season last year for just about everyone on the team, Adam Fox was one of few who became a big part of the blame. Somehow, there was a group of people decided he is no longer an elite defenseman. This talk carried into the offseason where outlets such as the NHL Network had Fox as a barely top 20 defenseman in the league.

Adam Fox is undoubtedly an elite defenseman in the NHL, and he's so far proven that to be the case. In October, Fox was nineteenth in the entire league in his xGF%, 23rd in his xGA/60, and seventh in total points. And yet somehow this fantastic play has gone under the radar, just recently Craig Button said Adam Fox should not be on team USA's Olympic roster and the Canadiens' fantastic young defenseman, Lane Hutson should be in over Fox instead.

Adam Fox's play in October was undeniably outstanding, and when he keeps up this pace for November and beyond; the NHL will be reminded about how dominant of a defenseman he is.

1. Other Notable Names

Sam Carrick
Taylor Raddysh
Adam Edstrom
Urho Vaakanainen
Matt Rempe
Carson Soucy

Stock Down

Artemi Panarin

During his entire career, Artemi Panarin hasn't started this poorly in the point department ever. The Rangers reliable, elite point producer has very oddly been cold offensively. In October he registered only two goals and seven points; yes he's tied for second on the team in points, but it's apparent something is off with him. Panarin ranks sixth on the team in his expected goals for per sixty (xGF/60), trailing everyone in the top six minus Conor Sheary. Panarin's cold start could be a cause for concern if this pace carries into December, especially in a contract year. But for now the former all-star is looking like a shell of his former self.

2. Other Notable Names

Alexis Lafrenière
Will Cuylle
J.T. Miller
Mika Zibanejad
Braden Schneider

No Change

Despite a lot of glume arching over a lot of the Rangers current players, there were also players who lived up to expectations casted over them by the media. The two goaltenders, Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick both continued their high level of play; Shesterkin ranked 14th in goals saved above expected (GSAx), while Quick stood 17th in GSAx among all goaltenders in the NHL. While others such as Vladislav Gavrikov and Urho Vaakanainen continued to stay strong defensively, both having a xGA/60 below a 2.20.

As of writing this article, the Rangers are 1-1 in November and their home struggles have continued; so heading into this month my biggest question is if the Rangers can solve their home woes and not let it sucker into the remaining parts of the schedule through the future.