The Rangers will welcome back a key cog of their back end to the lineup tonight in a crucial game against Columbus. Mollie Walker of the New York Post relays (Twitter link) that defenseman Adam Fox has been activated off injured reserve, meaning he is ready to return.
The 27-year-old had missed the last eight games due to an upper-body injury that was believed to be a shoulder issue. While Fox isn’t producing at the same level as in previous years that saw him surpass the 70-point mark for three straight seasons, he’s still tied for second on the team in scoring among full-season Rangers (tied with Mika Zibanejad, behind Artemi Panarin) with 48 points in 58 outings while averaging over 23 minutes a night of playing time.
Fox’s absence has also coincided with a stark drop in production for New York’s power play; the team played to a 2/26 mark with the man advantage in his absence. While the Rangers’ power play success rate isn’t the highest – they sit 24th in the league in that category – getting their top option at the point back can only help.
Tonight’s contest is critical for both teams with the Rangers and Blue Jackets tied for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference with Columbus holding the tiebreaker so Fox’s return is certainly timely. It’s expected he’ll take the place of newcomer Carson Soucy who is slated to be a healthy scratch.