- Jul 20, 2005
- 4,889
- 2,251
Or Hugh Jass
Didn't we draft him in 2003?
Or Hugh Jass
His lack of speed and overall skating ability is crazy.
I just don't know if he can ever be Norris Caliber again because of it.
Its a tough call. Many knees take 1-2 years for full recovery. While I understand the concerns it is possible that the knee held him back during the offseason and season. It is possible he could have a bounce back next season. Not saying that will definitely happen but I would not want to totally underestimate the role the knee played this season.His lack of speed and overall skating ability is crazy.
I just don't know if he can ever be Norris Caliber again because of it.
What has improved since Fox came back? Or are we still waiting to find our franchise 9.5m d man the right partner? He continues to struggle defensively and is becoming mainly a power play specialist for a bottom tier power play. Please get this guy out of here before his protection clauses kick in this summer. He's a declining asset and he's never going back to what he was...
Last night, we needed a player like Fox to step up and generate offense. He didn't. I'm inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt and say he couldn't. The apparent knee injury he suffered last year didn't appear to be all that serious: it didn't require surgery. It is a shame that it has robbed him of just that bit of quickness that has reduced him from elite to the shell of the player we see now. Perhaps it has become chronic. If that is the case, he might never recover, even with a long off-season ahead. Of all the things that have happened this year, this is perhaps the most distressing.
No D would look good when the team as a whole, and especially the forwards, commit turnovers in all three zones, at the blue lines, can't forecheck because they don't hit anyone, force turnovers, or win puck battles, pass up shots, default to East-West passes that aren't even close to being there, reach instead of take the body in the D-zone....the list goes on and on.Last night, we needed a player like Fox to step up and generate offense. He didn't. I'm inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt and say he couldn't. The apparent knee injury he suffered last year didn't appear to be all that serious: it didn't require surgery. It is a shame that it has robbed him of just that bit of quickness that has reduced him from elite to the shell of the player we see now. Perhaps it has become chronic. If that is the case, he might never recover, even with a long off-season ahead. Of all the things that have happened this year, this is perhaps the most distressing.
And how do you know that? There is a direct connection between his knee injury and his deteriorating play. These guys are professional athletes, their body is their life, their livelihood, and their pay. Sure, there are some guys you might say this about but I never consider Fox to be among them. These are not the days, long ago, when players might have rarely hit the gym or had all the trainers, strength trainers, personal trainers, therapists, nutritionists, etc., that teams and players have access to today. The Rangers have more staff than they have players. Fox is limited by his physical makeup, his frame, his genetics, from ever being a physical beast, the same with almost all smaller D (Z. Jones is another but w/o Fox's skills). I put "out of condition" with "country club atmosphere" together as something frustrated fans, in all sports, fall back on, whenever a team or individual players underperforms. If anything, when Fox was rehabbing his knee last summer, he might have concentrated on upper body strength. None of us knows, and that includes me, what is going on inside of players' heads, or privy to conversations between players and support staff or coaches. Speculate is what we do. We simply do not know the nature of Fox's knee issues or how much time he puts into the gym.He's not in shape. The injury excuses need to stop for guys who are in the lineup. He gets outmuscled and beaten in footraces more this year than ever before. The guy is 25 years old. Time to get serious. Enough blaming short off-season's and personal life milestones for being poorly conditioned.
And how do you know that? There is a direct connection between his knee injury and his deteriorating play. These guys are professional athletes, their body is their life, their livelihood, and their pay. Sure, there are some guys you might say this about but I never consider Fox to be among them. These are not the days, long ago, when players might have rarely hit the gym or had all the trainers, strength trainers, personal trainers, therapists, nutritionists, etc., that teams and players have access to today. The Rangers have more staff than they have players. Fox is limited by his physical makeup, his frame, his genetics, from ever being a physical beast, the same with almost all smaller D (Z. Jones is another but w/o Fox's skills). I put "out of condition" with "country club atmosphere" together as something frustrated fans, in all sports, fall back on, whenever a team or individual players underperforms. If anything, when Fox was rehabbing his knee last summer, he might have concentrated on upper body strength. None of us knows, and that includes me, what is going on inside of players' heads, or privy to conversations between players and support staff or coaches. Speculate is what we do. We simply do not know the nature of Fox's knee issues or how much time he puts into the gym.
Not being in shape can a symptom of not having a good offseason due to knee discomfort. I'm not making excuses. I just realize how hard it is to be at the top of our games when dealing with an injury. I have concerns just like you. This is a huge decision for Drury. Does he think Fox and CK will bounce back? Or does he think this season is how things will be for their future. He really needs to get with the teams doctors and make a two tough calls this summer.Fox' body language tells me he's out of shape. As does Lafreniere's. If Fox knee issues are chronic, we should move on from him. If they arent, he needs to hit the gym. It's not more complicated than that for me. let's not overthink this.
Speculate is what we do. We simply do not know the nature of Fox's knee issues or how much time he puts into the gym.
Reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.What has improved since Fox came back? Or are we still waiting to find our franchise 9.5m d man the right partner? He continues to struggle defensively and is becoming mainly a power play specialist for a bottom tier power play. Please get this guy out of here before his protection clauses kick in this summer. He's a declining asset and he's never going back to what he was...
If Fox is bad now, is slow, out of shape, and has a bad knee, and is a PP specialist then please explain the following:
1. Why does Fox have (tied for) the best 5v5 pts/60 of his career this year (and doing it with the lowest sh% he's ever had)?
2. Why does Fox have the best xG% of his career this year?
3. Why does Fox have the best CF% of his career this year?
4. Why does Fox have a 56.4 GF% this year? (This is actually his 2nd worst but obviously extremely good and not far off his other season).
5. Why is his max skating speed higher this year than last year and the year before that (and a higher 18-20 mph burst percentage so it's not just one random fluke moment of skating faster)?
This is a trend with fox and at his age it shouldn't be a down trend but it is.I look at Fox and CK in similar ways. I believe physical stuff held both back this season. I have no idea if they will bounce back next season. That question is probably the biggest Drury will need to decide for the team this summer.
Stop referencing max speed and bursts. Speed bursts for a defender are oh shit moments when they need to get back on the play. Most of those bursts are him trying to chase down a player that went around him with the puck or snuck around him on an odd man rush. What's his aggregate speed while I'm possession of the puck, 5?If Fox is bad now, is slow, out of shape, and has a bad knee, and is a PP specialist then please explain the following:
1. Why does Fox have (tied for) the best 5v5 pts/60 of his career this year (and doing it with the lowest sh% he's ever had)?
2. Why does Fox have the best xG% of his career this year?
3. Why does Fox have the best CF% of his career this year?
4. Why does Fox have a 56.4 GF% this year? (This is actually his 2nd worst but obviously extremely good and not far off his other season).
5. Why is his max skating speed higher this year than last year and the year before that (and a higher 18-20 mph burst percentage so it's not just one random fluke moment of skating faster)?
Conditioning...I don't think he's bad, I just think he's dogging it. I need something to explain why he's constantly slumping his shoulders and out of position on defense.
Stop referencing max speed and bursts. Speed bursts for a defender are oh shit moments when they need to get back on the play. Most of those bursts are him trying to chase down a player that went around him with the puck or snuck around him on an odd man rush. What's his aggregate speed while I'm possession of the puck, 5?
If fox has been this good this year then it's amazing that this team is so bad. You'd think the team would only suck 60 percent of the time of these stats held up. And to think he was sooo soo good with lindgren on his side. I'm sure fox's numbers are elite elite now that lindgren the anchor is gone??