Rangers' Fox expected to return Wednesday vs. Red Wings
New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox is expected to return to the lineup Wednesday against the Detroit Red Wings, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen.
Though Fox is set to come off long-term injured reserve, forwards Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil are going on it. Chytil's placement is retroactive to Nov. 3 and is strictly for cap reasons, Rosen added.
Kakko suffered a lower-body injury during Monday's 5-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres and is expected to miss significant time, but it's not believed to be season-ending.
Fox has missed the last 10 games since taking a knee-on-knee hit from Carolina Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho on Nov. 2. The Rangers didn't bend or break with their No. 1 blue-liner out of commission, going 7-2-1 to take over the top spot in the NHL's standings.
Here's how the Rangers' back end looked without Fox in the mix:
| LD | RD |
|---|---|
| K'Andre Miller | Jacob Trouba |
| Ryan Lindgren | Erik Gustafsson |
| Zac Jones | Braden Schneider |
Jacob Trouba and K'Andre Miller averaged around 24 minutes of ice time over the last 10 outings after seeing just over 21 minutes each when Fox was in the lineup. Erik Gustafsson filled in effectively for Fox beside Ryan Lindgren and on the top power-play unit, amassing 11 points in his last 10 games. Zac Jones entered the lineup on a consistent basis to form the third pairing with Braden Schneider.
Fox's return only makes the red-hot Rangers more dangerous. He was enjoying a strong start to the campaign with three goals and 11 points in 10 outings prior to his absence.
Since Fox's debut in 2019-20, he ranks fifth among all defensemen with 246 points (39 goals, 207 assists) in 295 games.
The 25-year-old has been a finalist for the Norris Trophy in two of the last three seasons, and he won the award honoring the league's best defenseman in 2021.