The New York Rangers are currently experiencing an injury bug that has taken out some of their top stars. Players such as Igor Shesterkin and Filip Chytil are expected to return relatively soon, but Adam Fox’s placement on the LTIR has him sitting out for a minimum of nine more games.
Even after those nine games pass by, there’s still the chance that Fox may need more time to recover from his slower body injury. The former Norris Trophy winner is essential to Rangers, so his return is imperative for the success of the Blueshirts’ season.
Laviolette gives vague response on when Fox will return to the Rangers
When speaking with the press earlier this morning, head coach Peter Laviolette was asked what Fox’s timeline looks like. In what appears to be a somewhat vague answer, Laviolette replied:
“I don’t think (multiple months) is what we’re talking about,” but added, “I don’t like talking about it too far out.”
Peter Laviolette via Vince Mercogliano
Hearing that Fox will not be away from the Rangers for multiple months seems like a positive, but the fact that Laviolette doesn’t want to discuss his return “too far out” seems a bit concerning. Based on the head coach’s vague response, there’s the possibility that Laviolette himself isn’t too sure of when Fox will be returning to the Rangers.
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Fox is 100% going to return at some point this season
During this media availability, Laviolette went on to give a definite “no” on the possibility that Fox may be out for the remainder of the season. This alone is welcoming news, as Fox is the backbone of the Rangers’ defensive corps.
While Fox is out for what is estimated to be a long time, but not months, Zac Jones needs to get comfortable playing alongside Braden Schneider. With a -3 rating in two games played so far this season, there needs to be a significant defensive improvement to even slightly compare to what Fox brings to the Rangers. He’s only played 40 games across his entire career, but it seems that those numbers will drastically increase over the course of the next few weeks.
