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Adam Fox said he feels 100 percent healthy and is ready to return to the Rangers’ lineup on Tuesday against the Bruins after an upper-body injury kept him out of the last three games before the All-Star weekend. The defenseman had to miss out on the All-Star festivities as well.
It was the first injured reserve stint of the third-year player’s career. Fox had missed just one game prior to this injury, last season, when he registered a false positive COVID-19 test and had to sit out of the March 15 contest against the Flyers.
“You’re a little antsy watching the games and obviously you want to be out there,” Fox said after practice Saturday. “For me, it just puts a little bit into perspective. You know, guys like [Sammy Blais] who is out for a long period of time and you feel for them a little more, for sure. Definitely want to get back out here when you’re watching and excited to get back out there.”
Fox, who confirmed he was injured after awkwardly absorbing a hit from Vladislav Gavrikov in the third period of the Rangers’ 5-3 loss to the Blue Jackets on Jan. 27, might have been able to return to the lineup before the break, but the organization wanted to be cautious.
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“I think with timing, it was just easier to take the cautious route and not rush back,” he said.
Having already matched his career-high of 47 points in just 44 games, Fox entered Saturday second in the NHL in points among defensemen. His 40 assists also led all defensemen, and he is two away from tying his career-best, from last season.
“You obviously miss him because he’s such a great player,” coach Gerard Gallant said. “He’s not just our best defenseman, but he was a Norris Trophy winner. The way he moves the puck. But, to be honest with you, [Zac Jones] came up and played and our D played really good those last couple of games, they played solid hockey. They played as good as they could play and I was happy with them.
“It’s nice to see when a guy like Fox or those top players that are out of your lineup and guys come up and play well.”
While the Rangers’ top two defensive pairs — Fox and Ryan Lindgren, K’Andre Miller and Jacob Trouba — remain the same, Braden Schneider and Patrik Nemeth skated as the bottom pair during practice.
Nemeth missed the last five games before the break for what the team said were “personal reasons.”
“We’re not sure he’s back yet,” Gallant said of Nemeth. “He’s not in the lineup yet for Tuesday [against the Bruins], for sure. We’re going to take our time with him and make sure everything goes good and we’ll see where it goes.”
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