Player Discussion Adam Fox

[Machinehead]

Is this the same Machinehead who, without a hint of sarcasm, stated last season that you don’t even watch the games anymore because you have better things to do and just look at your fancy charts? Because you did, and I have the receipts.

I was talking about the rest of the dumbass league because I'm not interested in watching the Panthers commit interference 9,473 times a game.

I watch the Rangers quite regularly, believe it or not.

Not that I need to be around all the time to know what I'm looking at. I've seen enough hockey.

If you think Fox is bad at defense, you're just wrong. It's like saying Panarin is bad at offense. Plenty of criticism of his game to be had but like, watch him play offense. He's good at it. Don't know what to tell you.

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

The people who chirp Fox and think he’s overrated only look at process, not results.

They see him lose a foot race to the corner or get out muscled in front of the net and think he’s slow and can’t defend.

An entirely different picture emerges when yoy keep track of the results he gets when he’s on the ice. Way more than most players, when he touches the puck he moves it in net positive way.

Faber is a great timely example of a player who is almost the exact opposite. He’s a good skater, stickhandles a lot, and can be stiffer in the corners. But when he has the puck on his stick he often makes questionable decisions, makes off target passes, or dumps it to his partner to make it their problem. Passes the eye test yet results aren’t always there.

 

[bleedblue94]

Dude. He’s a clear cut top 3 defenseman in the NHL. He’s just #5 on a Team USA that doesn’t have Hughes. But still top 3 in the world.

Isnt it interesting that he was also benched at the end and they felt werenski was the better option while trying to tie the game? I'm sure skating quality for the last player back had nothing to do with that decision. Can't play d and isn't the pp/extra man option for USA even with Hughes hurt.

 

[bleedblue94]

The people who chirp Fox and think he’s overrated only look at process, not results.

They see him lose a foot race to the corner or get out muscled in front of the net and think he’s slow and can’t defend.

An entirely different picture emerges when yoy keep track of the results he gets when he’s on the ice. Way more than most players, when he touches the puck he moves it in net positive way.

Faber is a great timely example of a player who is almost the exact opposite. He’s a good skater, stickhandles a lot, and can be stiffer in the corners. But when he has the puck on his stick he often makes questionable decisions, makes off target passes, or dumps it to his partner to make it their problem. Passes the eye test yet results aren’t always there.

There are plenty of results of him being too slow to defend so his partner having to cover on a switch and then fox not sticking with his player, or him not strong enough to defend and win a battle in front of his net where an average sized forward outmuscles him to score a goal, or him losing coverage in his own end or just being too lazy to make the defensive effort. There's evidence of good offense and horrible defense. The lovers ignore the later and yet still prop him up as an elite top 5 d man. He isn't even top 5 on the USA d corps without Hughes. It's comical.

There was a group that was suggesting this tournament would show how good he is when he plays w a good partner and better players, it's done the opposite and yet people now are pivoting again to make more excuses. He's a good player on a generally bad rangers team so people prop him up.

 

[NickyFotiu]

Dude. He’s a clear cut top 3 defenseman in the NHL. He’s just #5 on a Team USA that doesn’t have Hughes. But still top 3 in the world.

Is this the "new math" I keep hearing about?

 

[80shockeywasbuns]

They see him lose a foot race to the corner or get out muscled in front of the net and think he’s slow and can’t defend.

Not related to your point, but idk how many times I’ve seen Panarin/Fox concede body position and just let the opposing player field the puck in the corner only to come out with it 5 seconds later anyway cause they’re literally just better haha

 

[RangerBoy]

Dude. He’s a clear cut top 3 defenseman in the NHL. He’s just #5 on a Team USA that doesn’t have Hughes. But still top 3 in the world.

New math.

 

[Raspewtin]

Is this the same Machinehead who, without a hint of sarcasm, stated last season that you don’t even watch the games anymore because you have better things to do and just look at your fancy charts? Because you did, and I have the receipts.

this is really embarrassing, man.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Funny, how Giants fans who have been following a bottom of the barrel franchise for over a decade are still more positive about their team than Rangers fans. At least they recognize and value their best players. Rangers fans shit on even their best players. And no Shesterkin is not their best player before someone says it.

 

[Machinehead]

Funny, how Giants fans who have been following a bottom of the barrel franchise for over a decade are still more positive about their team than Rangers fans. At least they recognize and value their best players. Rangers fans shit on even their best players. And no Shesterkin is not their best player before someone says it.

I don't think you shit on Shesterkin, you shit on goaltending as an institution because you've seen Brian Asspimple win like ten Cups in net in your lifetime.

The value of a number one defenseman, on the other hand, is absolutely immense.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

I don't think you shit on Shesterkin, you shit on goaltending as an institution because you've seen Brian Asspimple win like ten Cups in net in your lifetime.

The value of a number one defenseman, on the other hand, is absolutely immense.

I'll be honest any time a goalie gives up a soft goal I'm pissed. While every goalie does it, it's like you have one job. And then people say "what about all of the great saves he made". A shitty goalie stops 90% of the shots they face. There's not a one to one relationship.

 

[markymarc1215]

Adam Fox is a great player. I shit on this team for most of my posts this year, deservedly so, but Fox is far from the problem. He's a top tier defenseman in the league with flaws. You don't replace guys like Fox, and if you don't believe me, look at the Rangers top scoring defenseman between 2005-2020. None of them came close to Fox's totals. When fully healthy, he's good for 80 points. Even if not healthy he'll still crack the 60s easily.

He's no Leetch or Zubov, but unless we get Makar or Quinn Hughes, no one else will be.

 

[wolfgaze]

If you think Fox is bad at defense, you're just wrong. It's like saying Panarin is bad at offense.

Huh? Panarin's offensive game has always been recognized as his primary strength by everyone around the league. Fox's defensive game has never been recognized as his primary strength. In what way is that a valid comparison?

 

[Mike in Houston]

Funny, how Giants fans who have been following a bottom of the barrel franchise for over a decade are still more positive about their team than Rangers fans. At least they recognize and value their best players. Rangers fans shit on even their best players. And no Shesterkin is not their best player before someone says it.

Nobody hates the Rangers more than Ranger fans. It's clear on this here board and the internet overall.

 

[Synergy27]

Nobody hates the Rangers more than Ranger fans. It's clear on this here board and the internet overall.

I don’t know man, everyone seems to hate the Rangers.

I love Adam Fox but can also admit that he is an imperfect player. The knocks on him (skating, strength) are real, and are what prevents him from being the best defenseman in the league. He’s still an elite player at the position and someone you absolutely want on your team. I fail to see how both can’t be true.

 

[Mike in Houston]

I don’t know man, everyone seems to hate the Rangers.

I love Adam Fox but can also admit that he is an imperfect player. The knocks on him (skating, strength) are real, and are what prevents him from being the best defenseman in the league. He’s still an elite player at the position and someone you absolutely want on your team. I fail to see how both can’t be true.

Nobody more than our own fans. I mean just look at the response by many in this fanbase regarding his comments ahead of tonight's game.

"This is probably the most jacked up I've been for a game."

But, but, but he didn't say that before two Game 6 in 2022 and 2024.

 

[Machinehead]

Huh? Panarin's offensive game has always been recognized as his primary strength by everyone around the league. Fox's defensive game has never been recognized as his primary strength. In what way is that a valid comparison?

Because the people who don't recognize Fox's defense as a strength ate lead paint as children.

 

[NYRFANMANI]

Nobody hates the Rangers more than Ranger fans. It's clear on this here board and the internet overall.

I mean, there are several good reasons to do so.

 

[TGWL]

There are valid criticisms of Fox.

He is certainly slow. I think he was always slow and people just decided to notice when the results slipped just enough to start the hate porn.

Adam Fox is basically the same skater for the last 3 seasons. He has good inside edge work but always been looking like his feet are in mud. I'll leave this here for fans to look and try to determine which photo goes to which year. He's been the exact same skater that most fans are now picking on because everything is going wrong and he can't carry a team giving 0 effort. He's not the top defensemen in the league. I think we all see flaws to his game on the backend, especially when hustling or being pinned in the zone. But he's still a very high regarded dman.

Hint: These screenshots are in order and the middle is slightly lower because he played 10 less games last season...

 

[SnowblindNYR]

I don’t know man, everyone seems to hate the Rangers.

I love Adam Fox but can also admit that he is an imperfect player. The knocks on him (skating, strength) are real, and are what prevents him from being the best defenseman in the league. He’s still an elite player at the position and someone you absolutely want on your team. I fail to see how both can’t be true.

I don't think saying he's the imperfect player but screaming that he has to be traded based on the All Star torunament are ridiculous.

 

[NickyFotiu]

Adam Fox is basically the same skater for the last 3 seasons. He has good inside edge work but always been looking like his feet are in mud. I'll leave this here for fans to look and try to determine which photo goes to which year. He's been the exact same skater that most fans are now picking on because everything is going wrong and he can't carry a team giving 0 effort. He's not the top defensemen in the league. I think we all see flaws to his game on the backend, especially when hustling or being pinned in the zone. But he's still a very high regarded dman.

View attachment 979523View attachment 979524View attachment 979525

Hint: These screenshots are in order and the middle is slightly lower because he played 10 less games last season...

I do not put much weight in these things usually but I'd be curious how guys like Hughes, Makar and Werenski compare.

 

[Levitate]

Look, the Rangers could go another decade before they luck into a defenseman as good as Fox, both offensively and defensively, and it is extremely rare to trade a guy like that and get equal value in return.

This team doesn't need to trade Fox to get a middle six winger and a middle pair D, and the odds of another team giving up a star center in return are pretty slim (wouldn't say non existent but something like the Huberdeau/Tkachuk trade is pretty rare)

If this damn team would support Fox better then that'd be great but getting huffy and demanding trades will only weaken the team

 

[TGWL]

I do not put much weight in these things usually but I'd be curious how guys like Hughes, Makar and Werenski compare.

These stats don't really measure explosiveness or time it takes to reach that speed, so it's difficult to really compare. In generally, Quinn's top speed is only like 1 or so more mph, but he moves around the ice a lot easier and quicker without time being wasted to achieve those speeds. Quinn has played 8 less games and has reached the 20+ speed burst nearly 50 more times. 57 - 8. But the 18-20 is also significantly higher.

Makar is a freak and it's probably not fair to even compare him to Fox when it comes to skating explosiveness as most won't hit that over 22+ as much as he does. He played 10 more games than Hughes, but obviously crushes the 20+ area.

Werenski is another one who can turn on the jets and reach high speeds a lot quicker.

Anyway, this isn't to say Fox isn't low. This was mainly to point out that his skating hasn't really changed.