Adam Fox, who is expected to sign his entry-level deal in the coming days, is finally a New York Ranger. This isn’t a surprise as the case with Fox was a matter of “when” as opposed to “if” he’d be acquired. Fox was set to be one of Harvard’s captains for his senior season, but Tuesday’s trade all but means he’ll be exchanging his Crimson sweater for a Blueshirt. The timing of the move has spawned a number of questions; many which will need to be answered soon. Why did the Rangers make the move now? This question was answered by Jeff Gorton who spoke with the New York Post. We think Adam is ready to play now. People talk about a year from now, but a lot can happen in a year, or 16 months. That comes with a lot of ‘if’s.’ So for me, it was easy. We wanted him here and we didn’t want to wait. We want to get moving. He has unique skill. He makes players around him better. He’s deceptive. He’s elusive. He gets the puck through when he’s trying to find that seam. When a player like that becomes available to us, we’re going to be aggressive. Fox is expected to sign a maximum ELC, which would include a $925,000 AAV plus bonuses, in the coming days, and will be joining Team USA at the World Championships in Slovakia. This will give the Rangers another chance to evaluate him, and get a sense of what impact he could have next season. What can the Rangers expect from Fox? Adam — our Adam — will post a full scouting report in the coming days, so I won’t go into too much detail about Fox’s skill set. By and large; he’s an offensive defender, and a damn good one at that. This season Fox tallied nine goals and 39 assists for 48 points in just 33 games. The year prior, 28 points in 29 games. And in his rookie season, he tallied 40 points in 35 games which brings his collegiate total to 116 points in 97 games (1.20 P/GP). What will the Rangers right defense look like on opening night? Fox could be a part of the opening night defense, but besides him there are still a few right-handed defenders within the organization. As of today, the Rangers right side for 2019-20 includes Kevin Shattenkirk (two remaining at $6.65 million) and may feature Brendan Smith who also plays the left side (two years left on his deal with an AAV of $4.35 million; Smith is someone who could get bought out, but for now he remains on the payroll). Along with Shattenkirk and Smith, there’s right-handed defenders Tony DeAngelo (age 24 on October 24) and Neal Pionk (age 24 on July 29) who are both restricted free agents, although it remains to be seen if both return. In Hartford there’s just one right-handed defender, and that’s Darren Raddysh who was acquired in a deal sending Peter Holland out of Hartford; I wouldn’t pencil him in for a spot with the big club. Chris Bigras, a left-handed shot, played the right side, but the 24-year-old rear guard is an RFA, who if re-signed likely remains with the Pack. Then there’s Joey Keane. The right-handed defender signed his ELC, but the soon-to-be 20-year-old should and likely will spend the entire season in the AHL or ECHL. Does the addition of Fox mean that the Rangers will have to choose between DeAngelo and Pionk ? The answer to this question is likely yes, and I’d be lying if I said I knew which way the Rangers were leaning. Quinn did a great job getting DeAngelo on track, but he also relied on Pionk a lot this season — although, that usage was noted by Gorton later in the year. What's the latest on #NYR first-round pick Vitali Kravtsov? GM Jeff Gorton answers that & more in his exclusive conversation with our Sam Rosen & Joe Micheletti. pic.twitter.com/tXKMlMuHjo — MSG Networks (@MSGNetworks) March 23, 2019 The Rangers added Fox because, despite having young right-handed defenders, his production, skill, and potential inspired them to see how it will translate to the NHL level. With that in mind, let’s evaluate DeAngelo and Pionk using the same criteria. DeAngelo was selected 19th overall in the 2014 draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning, and his production prior to the NHL is somewhat comparable to Fox’s. The major difference is he played in the OHL which is a friendlier offensive league compared to the NCAA. Over 236 games he posted a line of 55-186-241 which equates to a P/GP of 1.02. He then spent 123 games in the AHL where he tallied 72 points which is a P/GP of 0.59. During this time he was a member of the Syracuse Crunch (Lightning) and the Tucson Roadrunners (Arizona Coyotes) after being dealt at the 2016 draft. During the 2016-17 season DeAngelo spent 39 games with the Coyotes, but was traded to the New York Rangers at the 2017 draft as part of a deal with the No. 7 overall pick. He was traded for the second year in a row — partly because of behavioral and disciplinary issues that have continued throughout his career — which is something that was covered earlier this season. With that said, DeAngelo came into his own in 2018-19 under Quinn, although his best results often came after spending some time in the “Quinn bin”. As I said in his report card, The goal for next season is for DeAngelo to be able to play his game without needing Quinn to sit him down for course correction, because his skill set sets him apart from pretty much every defender on the roster not named Shattenkirk. His continued development and success will be critical for the rebuild, and it adds intrigue to how the Rangers will handle his RFA status this summer interesting. His career line reads 9-43-52 in 132 (0.39 P/GP), but 30 of the 52 came in 61 games in 2018-19. You can read more about his 2018-19 season here. Pionk, on the other hand, went undrafted, and spent two seasons at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He signed with the Rangers as a free agent after tallying 51 points in 82 games (0.62). Pionk’s first professional season saw him skate in 48 games with the Wolf Pack, and he scored one goal while adding 16 assists for 17 points (0.35 P/GP). Late in the season he got his big break, and he was called up after the Rangers announced their intentions to rebuild. In 28 games he scored one goal and added 13 assists for 14 points (0.50 P/GP). This past season he appeared in 73 games, and posted a line of 6-20-26 (0.35 P/GP) Since joining the Blueshirts, he’s skated in 101 games, and has posted a line of 7-33-40 (0.40 P/GP). You can read more about his 2018-19 season here. Of the two players, who should the Rangers keep? The answer, in my opinion, is DeAngelo. You might be read this and saying, “OK, DeAngelo may be the better player, but isn’t it a little early to give up on Pionk? Wouldn't it make sense to bring back both and see if Pionk can be salvaged with a steadier partner?” The answer to these questions are yes and no. Yes, 101 games is a small sample, but no it doesn’t make sense to bring him back if the right side is full. Pionk’s underlyings are terrible, and he offered very little to the Rangers’ once his scoring dried up. And even if he were to find his offensive touch again, the reason it doesn’t make sense to bring him back is because having him around would be redundant. There’s only have three defense spots on the right, and I don’t see a world where Quinn has three kids on the right side in the lineup.<doc-sep>Fox's rights were traded by the Hurricanes to the Rangers in exchange for a 2019 second-round pick and conditional 2020 third-round selection, Bob McKenzie of TSN reports. Fox is set to sign an entry-level deal with New York, which was likely a condition of the trade after the blueliner previously told Carolina he wasn't going to sign with the club and was headed for free agency this summer. The youngster should get a shot at the 23-man roster during training camp, especially if he can produce at the same level as he did at Harvard (116 points in 97 games).<doc-sep>The New York Rangers acquired a big-time prospect in Adam Fox, officially signaling the acceleration of their rebuild. After the trade deadline, New York Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton hinted at accelerating the rebuilding process. The Adam Fox trade is only just the beginning. Over the last few seasons, Gorton has masterfully acquired 14 draft picks over the last two seasons, putting the Rangers in a unique position. They’ve since used some of those picks, along with using them to move up in the draft and acquire players like Fox. It’s all a part of Gorton’s plan to help move this rebuild along over the next couple of years. While picks like the second overall are probably safe, Gorton has already let us know that he is willing to start making moves for players to help get this rebuild going. It’s honestly a cause for celebration because of a common thought amongst fan bases that claim picks usually never end up skating. Trades like the Fox deal showcases Gorton’s sense of urgency. Fox represents the perfect player not only due to his talent, but thanks to his age and contract status. He will be a Ranger on an entry-level deal at 21-years-old if he signs before the season. Should he go back to Harvard, he can come over at 22, which matches the Rangers plan of acquiring younger skill guys on their roster. The difference here is how Fox is probably ready to hit the NHL ice over the likes of Nils Lundkvist, Joey Keane and K’Andre Miller. The Rangers appear ready to get aggressive and stun some people around the league with deals like this one. Top prospects won’t always be available like Fox was, but the deals the Rangers need to look for to move this process along. There are going to be some big-time restricted free agents on the market this summer the Rangers could show interest in. They might not have the picks to submit an offer sheet for a player, but who is to say that won’t stop them from calling a team to try to negotiate a deal for the rights to that player? Prying a Mitch Marner away from Toronto or a Jacob Trouba from Winnipeg will be extremely tough, and the package will be pretty overwhelming, but it doesn’t hurt to at least make a call to gauge price tags. Along with a big RFA class this year, the Rangers are rumored to be interested in some of the bigger free agents like Artemi Panarin. If Gorton did not feel this team was ready to compete in the next couple seasons, you wouldn’t see these rumors swirl up as fast as they are. It only makes sense for New York with the progression of their younger players and the impact level of talent they will acquire in the draft. There’s a legitimate argument to be made how if they didn’t get the second overall pick, these free agent rumors might be laughable. But that is not the situation the Rangers find themselves in and they are in a position to be as creative as they want. All of it was made possible thanks to the moves Jeff Gorton made after announcing the team was heading into the rebuilding mode. They couldn’t make a trade like the Fox one if they didn’t stockpile all of these draft picks, a usually rare past experience. Rebuilding is tough, especially when you move fan-favorites, but the Rangers are about to hit the part of the rebuild when you can start to get excited. The players still have to develop, but you can at least see the direction the Blueshirts are trying to go in. Follow Dom on TWITTER<doc-sep>
After finding out that they weren’t going to be able to sign top prospect Adam Fox, the Carolina Hurricanes have traded his rights to the New York Rangers. In return, the Hurricanes will receive the Rangers’ 2019 second-round pick and a conditional 2020 third. That third-round selection will bump up a round if Fox plays 30 games next season. The Rangers were always the expected destination for a trade, given the belief that he would leave college early and sign with them. Fox has completed three seasons at Harvard and could become an unrestricted free agent next summer, but instead is expected to start his professional career in 2019-20. This was the exact scenario that the Calgary Flames did not want to take part in when they decided to include Fox in last summer’s blockbuster trade with the Hurricanes. It was clear to them that he had no intention on signing in Calgary, but the Hurricanes did believe that they could get him under contract. For whatever reason, that wasn’t to be and the Rangers seemed like the eventual destination. The Hurricanes' front office made it clear that they would seek out a trade this summer, and they did well to secure at least some sort of return for the college star. Fox, originally selected in the third round back in 2016, developed into one of the best defensemen in college hockey and put up 116 points in 97 regular-season games for Harvard over his three years. A natural power-play quarterback, he routinely carried the puck up the ice and gained the zone himself before setting up teammates for high danger chances. While not a physical presence, his defensive ability also improved to the point where many expect him to step right into the NHL next season. Right-handed offensive options are difficult to find, and the Rangers have now secured one with a ton of potential. For the Hurricanes, this trade will certainly bring back some interesting franchise memories. In September 2006, the Hurricanes traded third-overall pick Jack Johnson to the Los Angeles Kings after he turned down their offers to sign out of college. That was just a few months after Carolina had secured their first Stanley Cup, something the current team is trying to replicate this spring. If they are somehow able to, it would be an odd quirk of history to have failed to sign another top college defenseman in the same year. Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer was first to report that Fox has been traded, while Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet confirmed it was to the Rangers.