Scott Clark
Nov 13, 2023 - 06:25

NY Rangers Adam Fox long-term injured reserve fallout: A breakdown

Rangers lose star players to injury, but still find ways to win. New flexibility for the team as they face challenges.

The New York Rangers are facing a tough blow as they will be without one of their star players for a significant period of time. Adam Fox, an all-star defenseman, has been placed on long-term injured reserve due to a lower-body injury. This means he will be forced to miss a minimum of 10 games and 24 days, with his earliest possible return date being November 29th.

In addition to Fox, the team has also placed center Filip Chytil on injured reserve due to an upper-body injury. This requires a minimum of seven days with no game action. As a result, the Rangers have made corresponding moves, recalling forward Jonny Brodzinski, defenseman Connor Mackey, and goalie Louis Domingue from AHL Hartford.

Domingue has been called up to back up Jonathan Quick for an upcoming game, with starter Igor Shesterkin being "a little banged up" but not expected to miss much time. This comes after Fox's injury, which occurred in a collision with Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho. The hit resulted in Aho's knee banging into Fox's right thigh/knee area, drawing criticism from Rangers coach Peter Laviolette.

Chytil's injury is less clear, but it may have occurred during a collision with Canes forward Jesper Fast. With these injuries, forward Barclay Goodrow will also be absent as he won't be traveling with the team to Minnesota due to the birth of his first child.

The team is expected to make adjustments to accommodate the absence of Fox and Chytil, with Vincent Trocheck stepping into Chytil's second-line center spot and young defenseman Zac Jones getting an extended opportunity due to Fox's absence. Placing Fox on LTIR will temporarily allow the Rangers to exceed the salary cap, providing them with additional flexibility in the short term.

Despite the challenges posed by these injuries, the Rangers are remaining resilient and making the necessary adjustments to navigate through this difficult period. They will need to rely on their depth and adaptability to continue competing at a high level while key players are sidelined.