The mood around the New York Rangers — and their fanbase — was sky-high last Friday after a statement 5–1 victory over the back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in the 2026 Winter Classic. The offense was clicking, the stars were shining, and Igor Shesterkin was untouchable in net. Fast forward a few days, and that optimism has completely evaporated.
New York dropped a 3–2 overtime decision to the Utah Mammoth, but the final score was secondary to the frightening moment that saw Shesterkin collide with Utah’s J.J. Peterka and limp off the ice, unable to put weight on his left leg. It felt like rock bottom — and yet, things managed to get worse.
Just one day later, multiple Rangers reporters confirmed that star defenseman Adam Fox was headed back to long-term injured reserve with a lower-body injury. The timing couldn’t be more brutal: Fox had returned from an upper-body injury just six days earlier. Now, he’s sidelined again and will miss at least 10 games.
While the Rangers seemingly dodged the worst-case scenario with Shesterkin — ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reports the goaltender is still being evaluated but avoided major damage — his placement on injured reserve is troubling enough. Losing Fox, however, is a devastating blow.
As The Athletic’s Vince Mercogliano noted, Fox didn’t take the first shift of overtime against Utah, a subtle but ominous sign. Widely regarded as the Rangers’ top defenseman and one of the NHL’s elite at the position, Fox is indispensable. Beyond his defensive excellence, he quarterbacks the team’s top power-play unit, a role he fills as well as anyone in the league.
Since Fox returned for games against Washington and Florida, the Rangers went three-for-four on the power play with him on the ice. Overall, the unit converted five of eight chances in that stretch. After a sluggish start, New York now owns the NHL’s 10th-best power-play percentage at 22.2 — a number that’s almost certain to take a hit without Fox.
With Fox sidelined, the Rangers are turning to AHL call-up Scott Morrow. In 16 games with New York this season, Morrow has posted three assists, no goals, and a minus-1 rating while averaging 15:34 of ice time.
First came the scare with Shesterkin. Now, the loss of Fox compounds the damage. As injuries pile up, it’s fair to question whether general manager Chris Drury will be forced to rethink his approach ahead of the trade deadline.