Why Rangers may seek reunion with defenseman after Adam Fox injury: report
Even though the New York Rangers impressively won their first two games without injured defenseman Adam Fox in the lineup, one NHL Insider believes they’re looking for a short-term replacement to fill one very specific need.
And that could lead to a reunion with a veteran defenseman who recently played for the Rangers.
“I’ve heard that the Rangers, with Adam Fox being out, are seeing if there’s something they can find for a power-play quarterback,” Elliotte Friedman reported on the latest 32 Thoughts podcast. “They got a big win over Ottawa on Thursday night, they had only one power play and were 0-for-1 on it, hardly much of a sample size, but I do think they are looking for somebody out there.
“One of the names I kind of heard being thrown around is Erik Gustafsson, which would make some sense. He’s in the American Hockey League and they know him. He had [25] assists a few years ago (2023-24) in a season for the Rangers.”
The idea of a Gustafsson reunion on Broadway is not an outrageous one. The 33-year-old is on the outs with the Detroit Red Wings, currently playing for their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids. It wouldn’t take much to acquire him, and he’s an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Gustafsson carries a $2 million salary cap hit — but most important is that he’s an experienced and skilled puck distributor from the blue line.
When Fox missed four weeks of action with a knee injury in November 2023, Gustafsson stepped up for the Rangers and recorded points in nine of the 10 games, totaling 11 points (one goal, 10 assists). The Rangers were 7-2-1 in Fox’s absence, and Gustafsson was a big reason why.
In his only season with them, Gustafsson helped the Rangers win the Presidents’ Trophy and reach the 2024 Eastern Conference Final, largely in a third defense-pair role and as a staple on the second power-play unit. Gustafsson finished with 31 points (six goals, 25 assists) in 76 regular-season games, and had three assists in 16 Stanley Cup Playoff games that spring.
He signed a two-year, $4 million contract with the Red Wings in the summer of 2024 but struggled last season with poor defensive play and only 18 points (two goals, 16 assists) in 60 games. He’s been in the minors for all but one game this season.
NHL Insider sees a possible Rangers reunion with Erik Gustafsson
The Rangers are 0-for-6 on the power play in two games without Fox running point. Coach Mike Sullivan deploys a five-forward grouping on their top power-play unit, with Artemi Panarin assuming the quarterback role.
Sullivan thought that five-forward unit looked better as it got more reps Tuesday in a 3-2 overtime victory against the Dallas Stars. The Rangers finished 0-for-5 but had six shots on goal during an impressive four-minute power play in the third period.
There were fewer good looks on their lone power play in a 4-2 win over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday.
When asked earlier in the week why he simply didn’t insert a defenseman like Scott Morrow or Braden Schneider to replace Fox on PP1, Sullivan was direct with his answer.
“Because we don’t think that’s the strength to their games at this point,” he stated Monday.
Assuming Fox isn’t out for months, the Rangers could simply roll with the five-forward look on PP1. And if it really doesn’t work out, Morrow, Schneider, or even Vladislav Gavrikov, could slot in for the time being.
Trading for Gustafsson would knock the rookie Morrow out of the lineup. And, at least for two games, Morrow’s not shown he deserves to sit in the press box nor be sent back to AHL Hartford. Plus Gustafsson is a left-handed shot — not a perfect fit on the third pair even though the veteran is capable of playing his off (right) side.
But what’s the old phrase, “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire”? Let’s see if the Rangers think a reunion with Gustafsson is worth a short-term fix until Fox is healthy again.
“I don’t think there’s anything done there by any stretch of the imagination, but I do know they’re looking around to see if there’s someone they can find while Fox is out,” Friedman concluded.
