The Rangers will be without top defenseman Adam Fox for at least the next few weeks.
Fox is being placed on long-term injured reserve with an upper-body injury — believed to be a left shoulder issue — suffered in Saturday’s 4-1 loss to the Lightning, a league source confirmed.
The 2021 Norris Trophy winner will miss a minimum of 10 games and 24 calendar days with an LTIR designation, according to NHL rules.
The injury is not considered season-threatening and Fox is expected to be reevaluated around Christmas.
The 27-year-old Fox quarterbacks the Rangers’ power play and is tied with winger Artemi Panarin for the team lead with 26 points (3-23) this season in 27 appearances.
The Long Island native left Saturday’s game with 12:57 remaining in the third period with what appeared to be an injury to his left shoulder following a hit into the boards by Tampa Bay forward Brandon Hagel, who had scored two goals earlier in the game.
Before departing, Fox had set up captain J.T. Miller for the Rangers’ lone goal in Saturday’s game, marking the sixth consecutive game the three-time All-Star registered an assist.
Without Fox late in the game, coach Mike Sullivan used a five-forward alignment on the first power-play unit.
“He’s a Norris [Trophy–winning] defenseman,” center Mika Zibanejad said of Fox after the game. “He’s been running our power play for so long. When that happens that quickly, you’re just trying to simplify things, to try to get pucks to the net and not overcomplicate things. … It’s a different type of power play when he’s not there. … It’s not for the better.”
The Rangers recalled goalie Spencer Martin from AHL Hartford and assigned goalie Dylan Garand to the Wolf Pack.
Veteran backup Jonathan Quick has been unavailable for the past four games with a lower-body injury suffered in Utah on Nov. 22.
Igor Shesterkin started on back-to-back days, Friday and Saturday, for just the second time since February 2023.
Miller has scored three goals in the past four games after potting four over his first 21 appearances.
