New York Rangers: Top-10 prospects under 24
By Ed Stein
3. Adam Fox (21), Defenseman
When the New York Rangers traded for Adam Fox from Carolina on April 30, it was a major coup for Blueshirts GM Jeff Gorton. The former NCAA standout is a future top pairing NHL defenseman. He’s a mobile player with excellent offensive instincts. When doing research on him words like magician and wizard were used to describe what he can do with the puck, because its pure magic.
The local kid from Jericho on Long Island has top-end puck-moving skills. He combines that with outstanding vision on the ice, elite passing skills, and a wicked shot from the point. How a player with Fox’s talent, right-hand shot, and demonstrated skill with the United States National Development Team lasted into the third round of the 2016 Entry Draft (66th overall) is nothing short of miraculous.
A smart man off the ice, he went to Harvard. While in college, Fox was a point-scoring machine. He put up 116 points in 97 games for the Crimson. Last year was his coup de’ grace, averaging almost a point-and-a-half per game. Fox played in 33 games and scored 48 points. It was good enough to make him a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award given to the most outstanding college hockey player in the country.
Fox is likely to make the jump straight into the NHL this year. Additionally, he’s likely to apply his talents as a major part of the Rangers power play. Fox and the number two player on this list would be the top prospect in many organizations.