The New York Rangers have had a fantastic history of great defensemen to toe the blueline. When looking at the 100-year history, it is safe to say that goaltending might be the strongest alumni group, but d-men are a very close second.
Let's break down the three best to ever put on the Blueshirts uniform and rank them. Spoiler alert: one of these three is still playing.
3. Adam Fox
Here is your spoiler. Adam Fox is already the third-greatest defenseman in Rangers history, and it should not come as a surprise. He has been a stable and perfect player for this organization ever since his very first shift. Through 486 games he had 422 points, and that puts him fourth in franchise history with a chance to enter the top three next season.
On an annual basis, the safety net that is Fox is established in the Rangers defensive core. Right now, it is time to get him a steady partner, as the idea of Vladislav Gavrikov would have worked had there been a more complete six-man unit.
Fox is one of four Rangers to ever win a Norris Trophy, which he did back in 2021. He's got a lot of career left, and if he plays up to his potential and reputation, he could make a run for greatest ever assuming the team gets better and he's able to chase additional hardware.
2. Ron Greschner
The great Ron Greschner is at No. 2. He holds the second and tied for fourth-most goals in a single season by a defender, with 27 and 24, respectively. He was a dominant force for the Rangers in the 1970s and 1980s, and he sits in second place in both goals, assists, and total points for Rangers defensemen.
But his 1,226 penalty minutes are not only the most time spent in the sin bin as a defenseman, but most in Rangers history. He's a name that not many fans are familiar with, but he deserves some recognition for his contributions to the franchise.
1. Brian Leetch
This was a given. Brian Leetch is one of the best players in Rangers history, and it is not up for debate. No. 2 is the best defenseman, as he holds just about every top spot on the stat sheet leaderboard and completely revolutionized the modern-day offensive defenseman. He tallied 981 points in 1,129 games, and if not for a birthday trade, he would have been able to set the all-time record for most games played in franchise history.
On an Original Six team, to be the only player to ever win a certain something is truly a remarkable feat. Leetch is the only Ranger to ever win the Conn Smythe when they won the Stanley Cup back in 1993-94. He also was a Calder Trophy winner as top rookie, a two-time Norris Trophy winner (1992 and 1997), and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009, a year after the Blueshirts retired his jersey.
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