The mood around the New York Rangers and their fan base was understandably upbeat last Friday after a statement 5–1 victory over the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in the 2026 Winter Classic. The offense was clicking, the star players delivered, and goaltender Igor Shesterkin was nearly flawless. Since then, however, that optimism has quickly faded.
On Monday, the Rangers dropped a 3–2 overtime decision to the Utah Mammoth. The game’s defining moment came when Shesterkin was forced to leave after a collision with Utah forward J.J. Peterka. The Rangers’ netminder struggled to put any weight on his left leg as he exited the ice. At that point, it felt like things could not get much worse for New York.
Unfortunately for the Rangers, they did. One day later, several team reporters confirmed that star defenseman Adam Fox was being placed back on long-term injured reserve with a lower-body injury. Fox had only just returned six days earlier after missing time with an upper-body issue. Now, he is sidelined again and will miss at least the next 10 games.
Adam Fox suffers another injury less than a week after returning to Rangers
According to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, the Rangers appear to have avoided the most serious outcome with Shesterkin, though he remains on injured reserve with a lower-body injury and will continue to undergo evaluation. Even so, losing Fox once again is a major concern for the team.
The Athletic’s Vince Mercogliano noted that Fox was not on the ice for the opening shift of overtime in the loss to Utah, a sign that something was off before the injury news became public.
Fox is widely regarded as the Rangers’ top defenseman and one of the elite players at his position across the NHL. Beyond his defensive impact, he is a key piece of the team’s top power-play unit, serving as the primary point man. Since Fox returned last week for games against Washington and Florida, the Rangers converted on three of four power-play chances with him on the ice. Overall, the team went five-for-eight on the power play during that stretch.
After a sluggish start earlier in the season, New York has climbed to 10th in the league in power-play efficiency at 22.2 percent. With Fox unavailable, that unit is likely to take a hit.
In response to Fox’s absence, the Rangers are expected to recall Scott Morrow from the AHL. In 16 games with New York this season, Morrow has recorded three assists, no goals, and a minus-1 rating while averaging 15:34 of ice time per game.
The Rangers already took a significant blow with Shesterkin’s injury. Now, with Fox back on the shelf, questions arise about whether general manager Chris Drury may need to reconsider his approach as the trade deadline approaches.