Rangers Place Top Defenseman on IR

The New York Rangers placed their star defenseman on Injured Reserve.

Feb 23, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (23) handles the puck against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The New York Rangers defense took a tough blow as the team approaches the 60-game mark. Their star defenseman, Adam Fox, sustained an injury and subsequently placed on Injured Reserve. The team announced the update following his early exit from the team's recent game.

The Rangers shared that Fox sustained an upper-body injury during their game against the New York Islanders. The news is worse than expected, resulting in the Blue Shirts placing their top defender on IR. NHL insider Dan Rosen was among the first to report the news.

Rangers defenseman Adam Fox is going on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. It's not considered season-ending, but he will miss some time.

— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) February 26, 2025

The good news for Fox and the Rangers, as Rosen indicated, is the injury isn't viewed as season-ending. The exact timeline for his return hasn't been revealed, but there is optimism he returns during the 2024-2025 campaign. The bad news is that this is the second time in the last year that he's sustained a severe injury.

Through the first 58 games, Fox was one of the highest-scoring defensemen in the NHL. He posted five goals and 43 assists for 48 points. He also led the Rangers in ice-time, averaging a taxingly high 23:14 per contest.

Fox was one of two Rangers defenders to leave their most recent game. In addition to Fox exiting with an upper-body injury, top-four puck-mover K'Andre Miller was forced out of the game as well. The team shared that Miller sustained a lower-body ailment, but no further updates were given at the time of this report.

Without Fox, the Rangers' playoff hopes take a huge hit. The team is already clawing for a postseason spot and struggling to gain ground. Now, they must find a way to do so without one of their best players. The road to the 2025 NHL Playoffs was already a steep one for the Rangers after their dismal mid-season slump, and it's become much steeper with Fox out for the next few weeks.

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