With September here, the New York Rangers will be preparing for an important campaign this coming season. 

Following a last-place finish in the Eastern Conference, the Rangers came into the summer needing to improve. Chris Drury got very aggressive following back-to-back disappointing campaigns by New York’s standard, and the hope will be that this is a playoff contender. 

As expected with the poor record, there were a number of areas that the team tried to improve. Offensive production was really poor at times, and so was their depth on the blueline. 

Drury deserves some credit for doing a really good job, especially considering this wasn’t the strongest free agency class to make upgrades. Now, as the team gets set for the campaign, they will be hoping that some of their top players are able to produce at a high level. 

One player who is going to be key for the Rangers is their star defenseman, Adam Fox. 

Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (23) skates against the Washington Capitals during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While the team certainly struggled last year, one of the main reasons why was the absence of their star defenseman. Even though there have been some young defensemen around the league who are starting to make a name for themselves, Fox is still one of the best when healthy. 

Unfortunately, last season, he missed a lot of time, and the Rangers really didn’t have anyone who was capable of stepping up and filling his role. That was an area that the team did address this offseason with the addition of Sean Durzi specifically on the right side of the blueline. However, the depth on defense is much better overall. 

Last year, Fox totaled 53 points with nine goals and 44 assists in 55 games played. As the quarterback of the power play, Fox continued to be an assist machine for New York last season, totaling 19 power play assists. 

Overall, while the Rangers figure to be an improved team with all of the new faces, they will need others to step up. One of the main reasons why the team didn’t elect to rebuild is because they have cornerstone players like Fox and Igor Shesterkin. 

Keeping Fox healthy will be of paramount importance this coming season. He is a complete difference-maker for the team on the ice and makes their offense much better. With that being said, he is certainly a leading candidate to be the most important player on the team.