The New York Rangers held their exit interviews and locker cleanout on Monday afternoon, and the feeling in the room was the same: disappointment. Many players spoke to the media, offering their thoughts on a wide variety of subjects from the 2024-25 season. These subjects include the firing of head coach Peter Laviolette, injury news, locker room drama, and why this season was such a failure.
Now that the offseason has officially begun, it is time to start planning for the next season. One topic that seems to be on everyone's mind, first sparked by the great Mark Messier during the intermission report of the elimination game against the Carolina Hurricanes on April 12, is that this team needs a new leader.
Who can step up and take the mantle? Who is crazy enough to do it, with the last couple of captains having abrupt endings to their Blueshirts careers? Is it time?
The next captain of the New York Rangers should be...
The clear answer here is defenseman Adam Fox. Not only does he absolutely deserve the honor, but he is also the right choice. No one has been more relied on than Fox, outside of goaltender Igor Shesterkin. And, more often than not, Fox has delivered on those promises.
This season, Fox appeared in 74 games and scored 10 goals and 51 assists for 61 points. His double-digit goal count is impressive, and this is the fourth consecutive season that he has hit that mark. Talk about consistency—that is what you need in a captain.
Another defenseman?
If Fox were to be named the 29th captain of the Rangers, he would also be the third straight D-man. He would follow Ryan McDonagh and Jacob Trouba as recent defenseman captains. Third time's a charm, right?
On the offensive side, there are a few candidates who could overthrow Fox for the captaincy. The fan choice over the last couple of years has been Chris Kreider, but his status on this roster next season is in serious jeopardy. And then there is Mika Zibanejad, who has been a leader for this team even while Trouba was donning the "C" on his chest.
But, the choice that could save the locker room and the relationship between the players and General Manager Chris Drury is Fox. He's a player who is going to be around for the foreseeable future, and for the future of the team you need some stability. It is the obvious choice, and hopefully the correct one.