Rangers Daily: Adam Fox ‘closer;’ Islanders’ Mat Barzal could be suspended
It sure feels like Adam Fox is on the verge of returning to the New York Rangers lineup. Whether that’s Monday in Raleigh against the Carolina Hurricanes or later in the week, his return can’t come soon enough.
Sure, the Rangers are 6-5-2 since he sustained an upper-body injury on Nov. 29 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Sounds like they’re holding their own without their No. 1 defenseman, right? Not so fast.
Let’s not minimize how important Fox is to everything the Rangers do. Whether it’s driving offense 5v5, quarterbacking the top power-play unit, or simply getting the puck out of the defensive zone in a swift efficient manner.
The Rangers don’t have another defenseman who comes close to doing all the things Fox does so well. And by well, we mean among the best his position in the NHL. For years now, the Rangers expected goals for percentage is vastly better when Fox is on the ice than when he isn’t. And before he got hurt earlier this season, he and Vladislav Gavrikov formed one of the top defense pairings in the entire League — that’s statistically and with the old eye test.
Braden Schneider and Matthew Robertson, in particular, albeit in different roles, really stepped up with Fox sidelined. That’s been a major positive for the Rangers. But there’s no debating the Rangers are much better and more complete when Fox plays and the others slot in behind him.
The 27-year-old, who has 26 points (three goals, 23 assists) in 27 games, practiced in full Sunday and shed the no-contact jersey.
“It’s great. It obviously suggests he’s that much closer,” coach Mike Sullivan said Sunday. “He was full capacity today, we worked him into the power play. He took full contact. We’ll see how he responds and make decisions.”
When asked if there’s a chance Fox plays against the Hurricanes, Sullivan said, “I would consider him day to day at this point.”
He provided the same exact answer when pressed further.
Stay tuned. Looks and feels like the Rangers are about to get a very important piece to their puzzle back sooner rather than later.
New York Rangers news and analysis
Our John Kreiser breaks down the Rangers week ahead, which includes three straight games on the road, capped by the NHL Winter Classic in Miami against the Florida Panthers on Friday.
That 2-0 defeat on Long Island coming out of the holiday break? Just another lost opportunity for the Rangers in a season full of them, so far.
Remember Zakary Karpa? No? Well the 2022 sixth-round pick by the Rangers earned a promotion from the ECHL to Hartford of the American Hockey League this past weekend, and scored a goal in his AHL debut.
NHL news and rumors
New York Post: Mathew Barzal likely faces supplemental discipline from NHL Player Safety after the New York Islanders star swung his stick like a baseball bat at Columbus Blue Jackets forward Mason Marchment and received a game misconduct early in the second period of their 4-2 loss Sunday. The incident occurred after the Islanders believed Marchment intentionally tried to injure rookie sensation Matthew Schaefer.
Daily Faceoff: Linus Ullmark is taking a leave of absence from the Ottawa Seantors for personal reasons.
Florida Hockey Now: Matthew Tkachuk practiced with the Florida Panthers on Sunday for the first time since offseason sports hernia surgery. But Panthers coach Paul Maurice didn’t sound optimistic that Tkachuk will be ready to play in the outdoor Winter Classic against the Rangers on Friday.
Chicago Hockey Now: Chicago Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno returned after a 19-game injury absence Sunday in a 7-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, the Blackhawks placed forward Frank Nazar on IR with an upper-body injury.
TSN: William Nylander missed the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 3-2 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings with a lower-body injury. The star forward is day to day.
The Province: When the Vancouver Canucks visit the Seattle Kraken on Monday, veteran forward Jake DeBrusk won’t be in their lineup. Canucks coach Adam Foote said that DeBrusk is a healthy scratch, and the forward confirmed as much, admitting “it’s embarrassing.”
