The New York Rangers are getting creative in their search to replace Adam Fox on the power play. The veteran defenseman was placed on long-term injured reserve on November 30 after suffering an upper-body injury. Fox was last seen on the ice late in a 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning the day before.
An official timetable for Fox’s return is not yet known. The blueliner, however, will miss a minimum of 10 games and possibly more. Nevertheless, ESPN’s Emily Kaplan has reported that Fox’s injury is not expected to impact his availability for Team USA at the February Olympics.
Although he may not be out long-term, the Rangers are being linked with a trade to help fill Fox’s void on the power play. According to Elliotte Friedman, a deal could involve a current AHL player. The NHL insider revealed on December 5 that New York is looking to bring back Erik Gustafsson via a trade. The defenseman is currently playing for the Grand Rapids Griffins, an affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings.
“I’ve heard the Rangers, with Adam Fox being out, they’re looking to see if there’s something they can find for a power play quarterback,” Friedman said on his 32 Thoughts podcast. “I do think they are looking for somebody out there. And one of the names I’ve kind of heard thrown around is Erik Gustafsson, which would make some sense.”
New York Rangers are Very Familiar with Erik Gustafsson
GettyErik Gustafsson played well with the New York Rangers during the 2023-24 season.
Gustafsson, as Friedman pointed out, previously played for the Rangers during the 2023-24 season. The veteran blueliner picked up 25 assists and 31 total points in 76 games with New York that year. Perhaps more importantly, nine of these assists came on the power play. In total, 34% of Gustafsson’s assists throughout his NHL career have come on the man advantage.
The defenseman’s familiarity with the Rangers roster is clearly seen as a positive for GM Chris Drury. During his lone campaign in the Big Apple, Gustafsson played alongside current stars on the team such as Fox, Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, and Mika Zibanejad.
Since Fox went down, the Rangers have yet to score a power play goal in six chances. Overall, New York ranks 14th in the league with a power play success rate of 19.4%. Chances on the man advantage are also not exactly aplenty for the team. They are currently tied for 23rd amongst NHL teams with just 13 power play goals.
Fans Would Seemingly Rather See Prospect Given Chance as Power Play Quarterback
While Drury may view Gustafsson as a legitimate option to quarterback the team’s power play, Rangers fans do not exactly see the vision. New York fans took to social media to show their displeasure with their team’s links with Gustafsson. Many Rangers supporters view the potential move for a current AHL player to be underwhelming.
One player the fans appear to favor for the Fox role is Scott Morrow. The prospect was previously acquired by the Rangers in a deal that sent K’Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes. The offensive-minded blueliner excelled with the Chicago Wolves throughout the 2024-25 season, but has yet to show his true potential in the NHL.
Morrow picked up just one point in six games with the Rangers so far this season. Since returning to the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack, the defenseman has recorded three points in a dozen games. It appears as if Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan is not yet ready to rely on the 23-year-old Morrow.
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