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John Davidson Resigns As President Of Blue Jackets, Named President Of Rangers

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have a tough offseason in front of them after going all-in at the trade deadline, and will now have to do it without their top hockey executive. John Davidson, President of Hockey Operations and alternate governor for the Blue Jackets has resigned his post and has taken the same position with the New York Rangers, signing a five-year deal with the team per Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic. Davidson had been immediately rumored to be an option for New York after it was announced that Glen Sather would be stepping down from the presidency. Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen will now serve as alternate governor in addition to his current duties.

It is difficult to overstate how important Davidson has been to the Blue Jackets organization over the last seven years. After leaving the St. Louis Blues, Davidson came to a franchise that was floundering on and off the ice, never finding much success since entering the league in 2000. The team had made the playoffs just a single time, and were routinely seeing changes in the coaching staff and management group. Roster turnover is inevitable but the Blue Jackets hadn’t been able to build any sort of consistency in their group and had recently traded their captain and face of the franchise, Rick Nash to the Rangers.

One of the first big changes Davidson enacted was firing general manager Scott Howson a few months after taking control of the team. He replaced Howsen with Kekalainen who he knew from his days in St. Louis, a move that is still paying off despite the gamble of this season. The Blue Jackets have grown into one of the most consistent organizations in the NHL, recording at least 89 points in five of the last six seasons and making the playoffs on four of those occasions. This year saw the team win the first playoff round in franchise history, when they shocked the hockey world by sweeping the Presidents Trophy-winning Tampa Bay Lightning.

New York though was always a dream for Davidson. Blue Jackets owner John P. McConnell said as much in his statement today:

When we hired John Davidson in October 2012, I said I thought he was the perfect person to lead our hockey operations efforts. Nearly seven years later, I believe I was right. He joined our team at a very difficult time and led a transformation that has resulted in consistent winning and appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. J.D. is a man of great character and compassion and I completely understand his interest in the unique opportunity before him. I know leaving Columbus is a difficult decision for him as he has a genuine love of our community and organization, but the possibility of returning to his roots in New York, where he spent three decades as a player and broadcaster, is an extraordinary circumstance for him and his family.

Davidson was originally drafted fifth overall by the Blues in 1973, but would end up playing most of his career with the Rangers before retirement took him into the broadcasting ring. A generation of fans in New York grew up with “J.D.” as the color commentator for Rangers’ games, making this quite a homecoming for the respected executive. In the Rangers’ release, Davidson explained his excitement:

I am excited and humbled to be named the President of the New York Rangers. The opportunity of rejoining the Rangers organization and returning home to New York, where my family and I have spent so many wonderful years, was one I simply could not pass up. I want to thank James Dolan for offering me this chance to come home.

East Notes: Schoenfeld, Bystrom, Hurricanes

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Jim Schoenfeld has stepped down from his position as New York Rangers assistant general manager, ending a 17-year run with the organization. The executive was the GM of the Hartford Wolf Pack for 14 years, but the team decided to hand over the minor league affiliate to Chris Drury in 2017. Rangers president Glen Sather released a statement:

In nearly two decades with the Rangers, Jim made an impact on every level of the organization. His tireless efforts and contributions were vital to the extended run of success we experienced during his tenure in New York.

Prior to his tenure in New York, Schoenfeld had worked as a head coach for the Buffalo Sabres, New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals and Phoenix Coyotes but achieved mild success. His overall record was 256-246-78 as an NHL coach, with a losing record in 57 playoff contests. His departure leaves Drury as the only assistant GM on staff for the time being.

  • Florida Panthers prospect Ludwig Bystrom is heading to Finland, signing a two-year contract with Karpat. The 24-year old defenseman was scheduled to be a restricted free agent this summer after spending the last two seasons with the Springfield Thunderbirds. Bystrom recorded 30 points in 71 games this season for Springfield, but still hasn’t made his NHL debut. The Swedish defenseman was originally drafted 43rd overall by the Dallas Stars in 2012.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes are expected to have Curtis McElhinney in net once again as they try to stay alive in their Eastern Conference Final against the Boston Bruins. McElhinney stopped 29 of 31 shots on Tuesday night in a losing effort, and will try to find some magic to keep the Hurricanes in the series. Regardless of what happens tonight the Hurricanes will have to make some tough decisions on their goaltending situation next season, as both McElhinny and Petr Mrazek are pending unrestricted free agents. Top prospect Alex Nedeljkovic was recently named AHL Goaltender of the Year, but has just two games of NHL experience.

Poll: How Many Top Free Agents Will Re-Sign Before July 1st?

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The season is over for all but four NHL teams, meaning free agents from the other 27 clubs are already focused on July 1st and the start of free agency. How many of those top free agents are still considering staying where they are versus testing the market? How many teams have the means and interest to re-sign them?

In January, PHR published our Mid-Season UFA Power Rankings: 1-10, 11-20, and honorable mentions. Mark Stone, Eric Staal, Jakob Silfverberg and Jimmy Howard – four of our top 25 –  have already signed extensions. However, the other top names and their current squads have exactly seven weeks to decide whether or not they will follow suit.

The Columbus Blue Jackets went all in at the trade deadline and it paid off with the franchise’s first ever playoff series win, a shocking sweep of the President’s Trophy-winning Tampa Bay Lightning. Yet, the acquisitions of Ottawa Senators standouts Matt Duchene (No. 5) and Ryan Dzingel (No. 16) was not enough to get the team through round two, nevertheless to a Stanley Cup title. Now, the team faces the possibility that their new additions could walk in free agency alongside stars Artemi Panarin (No. 2) and Sergei Bobrovsky (No. 6), leaving them with major holes to fill. The latter duo have long been expected to test the market, perhaps even as a package deal. Additionally, the conditional 2020 first-round pick tied to re-signing Duchene would seemingly make it less likely that Columbus opts to extend him, especially given their lack of picks in the upcoming draft. None of those three have officially ruled out a return to the Blue Jackets, but it doesn’t look good. On the other hand, Dzingel, an Ohio State University alum, looks like he could be a more natural long-term fit, but it hasn’t prevented rumors that other teams are very interested in signing him.

Another free agent-heavy team that blew through round one of the playoffs only to be knocked off in round two are the New York Islanders. After losing John Tavares last summer, going through the same with top forward Anders Lee (No. 9) would be devastating for the Islanders franchise. Yet, the captain still remains unsigned. It’s fair to assume they will eventually figure it out, but that line of thinking if awfully reminiscent of last year. New York is reportedly pushing hard to retain enter Brock Nelson (No. 11) and winger Jordan Eberle (No. 15) as well, but they could be more inclined to test the market. There’s also the question of resurgent goalie Robin Lehner (No. 23). Will the Islanders lock up the young keeper who was so solid this season? Or will they refuse to pay market value for a player that has benefited from their system while splitting time with Thomas Greiss?

Another team of interest are the San Jose Sharks, who remain alive in the Western Conference Final. Superstar defenseman Erik Karlsson (No. 1) and respected veteran forward Joe Pavelski (No. 7) are both heading for free agency and the Sharks may be hard-pressed to sign both. There’s also deadline addition Gustav Nyquist (No. 14) to consider re-signing, as he has had a strong postseason with the Sharks. The Carolina Hurricanes are also one of four teams still playing and are definitely happy they held on to forward Micheal Ferland (No. 18). Ferland is reportedly expected to test the market, but after a deep postseason run he may be more open to extending his stay with the Hurricanes.

It was a difficult end to the year for the Winnipeg Jets, who were one-and-done this year, falling to the St. Louis Blues in the first round. Between rental center Kevin Hayes (No. 8) and big defenseman Tyler Myers (No. 10), the Jets have a pair of coveted free agents on the roster who they would surely like to keep, but that is the least of their worries as they face a daunting impending cap crunch. It could make bringing back even one of the two nearly impossible. The same goes for defenseman Jake Gardiner (No. 12) and the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs will have a hard enough time keeping their roster together and re-signing their current restricted free agent, nevertheless managing to re-sign Gardiner.

Generally, playoff rentals proceed to hit the free agent market rather than re-up with their new teams. In addition to Duchene, Dzingel, Hayes, and Nyquist, Nashville’s Wayne Simmonds (No. 13), Dallas’ Mats Zuccarello (No. 21), and Colorado’s Derick Brassard (No. 24) could very well be headed to yet another destination. Simmonds and Brassard were disappointments in their short stays, but Zuccarello proved to be a nice fit with the Stars. However, the team would lose a first-round pick rather than a second-round pick to the New York Rangers if they were to re-sign the veteran forward. That may not be enough to stop them from extending him, though.

If there was any doubt that the Buffalo Sabres couldn’t re-sign Jeff Skinner (No. 4), one would think he would have been dealt at the trade deadline. However, he remains suspiciously unsigned and would be a massive addition to the free agent market if he does make it to July. Skinner has been a great match with Jack Eichel and certainly looks like a long-term fit in Buffalo, but the team’s second-half struggles could have Skinner re-thinking a long-term stay.

Vancouver’s Alexander Edler (No. 22) stated that his preference was not to be dealt at this year’s trade deadline and to instead re-sign with the Canucks. The two sides have been working toward an extension, but until pen meets paper he is still an impending free agent that will attract considerable attention. Similarly, Semyon Varlamov (No. 17) has expressed an interest in remaining with the Colorado Avalanche, but it’s unclear if the feeling is mutual. Varlamov would have to take a major pay cut to stay on as backup and may rather test a goalie market that has already lost Howard and could lose Lehner before free agency opens.

Compared to recent years, this impending free agent class does look to have fewer locks for extensions among top players. Any of these names could hit the market, although odds are they won’t all choose to do so. Regardless, this could be a healthy market come July 1st. Just how deep could it be? That’s for you to guess. How many of these top free agents will sign extensions?

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Poll: Has Kaapo Kakko Surpassed Jack Hughes For The No. 1 Pick?

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Just a few weeks ago, it seemed all but settled that the New Jersey Devils intended to take Jack Hughes with the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming 2019 NHL Entry Draft as the team pictured a combination of Hughes and Nico Hischier each centering their first and second lines.

However, after an impressive performance in his first two games for Finland, Kaapo Kakko, the consensus second-overall pick, looks to be pushing for the chance to be the first-overall pick instead. The 18-year-old Kakko scored two goals Friday against Canada to garner quite a bit of attention and then added a hat trick Saturday against Slovakia to post five goals so far. And the tournament has just started. All this is after Kakko posted 22 goals in the Liiga as a 17-year-old for most of the season. The possibility of a first line of Hischier, Taylor Hall and Kakko could develop into one of the best in the NHL down the road.

Hughes, on the other hand has been solid. He is also playing at the World Championships for the United States, but hasn’t established himself in the same way that Kakko has. Regardless, most draft experts still have Hughes, the playmaking center, at the top of draft boards and most people still have Hughes going to New Jersey with the Rangers happily taking whichever player is remaining.

However, Saturday’s performance has received quite a bit of attention, with many suddenly suggesting that Kakko should be the first pick in the NHL Draft. However, should New Jersey take Kakko at No. 1?

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Latest On John Davidson And The New York Rangers

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Ever since Glen Sather stepped down from his post of President of Hockey Operations for the New York Rangers early last month, John Davidson – who holds the same title with the Columbus Blue Jackets – has been one of the top names in consideration to replace him. Davidson, a former NHL goaltender, spent eight seasons with the Rangers and has maintained strong ties with the organization, even serving as a broadcaster for some time. The New York Post’s Larry Brooks wrote earlier this week though that this is more than just a matter of familiarity and opportunity; he believes Davidson is a “lock” to accept the job and further news would seem to indicate that his presumption is true.

Davidson last played for the Rangers in the late 80’s and has worked in the front offices of both the Blue Jackets and St. Louis Blues since his playing days ended. Yet, Brooks believes that Davidson has maintained interest in returning to New York after all these years and in fact has an out clause in his contract allowing him to leave if offered a position with the Rangers. Brooks believes that the official offer is imminent now that Columbus has been eliminated from the postseason. Brooks also adds that getting the new president situated as soon as possible is important, as the Rangers have ample draft capital and salary cap space that they need to use wisely this off-season. Davidson could be a key piece for GM Jeff Gorton and company to sway Blue Jackets free agent Artemi Panarin, or perhaps Matt Duchene or Ryan Dzingel, to join the club this summer. Brooks also states that one of Davidson’s first duties would be to replace the coaching staff for the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, who were let go at the end of their season.

Following the release of Brooks’ article and other mounting rumors, the Columbus Dispatch’s Brian Hedger reached out to the man himself for comment and got a short, but somewhat revealing answer. Hedger asked Davidson for any reaction to the speculation that he was joining the Rangers and the veteran executive said “Right now, I’m working for the Blue Jackets and that’s where it sits.” It doesn’t provide much detail, but Davidson’s response is also far from a denial. “Right now” he remains a Columbus employee, but that could soon change.

On the Blue Jackets’ side, The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline writes about what Columbus will do if Davidson departs, although it seems more like a “when” than an “if” at this point. Portzline feels that the Blue Jackets will make every attempt to keep Davidson, but that the “emotional pull” toward New York may be too much and the team would not stand in the way of a move. The options in the wake of a Davidson departure would be to make an outside hire, promote from within, or spread Davidson’s responsibilities to other. Blue Jackets Assistant GM Bill Zito is a popular name on the executive market and this could be a prime opportunity for Columbus to ensure he does not leave by promoting GM Jarmo Kekalainen to the President role and making Zito the GM. Portzline also mentions former players and current team executives Basil McRae and Blake Geoffrion as internal names who could move up. One way or another, Columbus will have to make some changes to the front office this season and soon, as they have a crucial off-season ahead of them.

Julius Bergman Returning To Sweden

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As expected, prospect Julius Bergman has decided to return to Sweden and play for Frolunda during the 2019-20 season. The 23-year old defenseman is scheduled to be a restricted free agent this summer and will not be re-signing with the New York Rangers.

Amazingly, Bergman was involved in three different trades since the end of the 2017-18 season. After three seasons with the San Jose Sharks he was included in the original Mike Hoffman deal with the Ottawa Senators along with Mikkel Boedker. After just 33 games for the Belleville Senators of the AHL, Bergman was flipped along with Matt Duchene to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Since he had already indicated to the Senators that he wasn’t going to re-sign, the Blue Jackets also felt they had no need to keep him around and included him in the deal to acquire Adam McQuaid from the Rangers just a few days later. In ten games for the Hartford Wolf Pack, Bergman recorded two points.

Originally drafted 46th overall by San Jose in 2014, Bergman actually quickly came to North America to continue his development in the OHL. He recorded 42 points in 60 games for the London Knights during the 2014-15 season, while also suiting up for Sweden at the World Juniors and making his AHL debut at the end of the year. The young defenseman has shown some exciting offensive ability over the years but failed to really climb the depth chart in San Jose, and now will return to continue his development overseas. The Rangers can retain his rights for the time being by issuing him a qualifying offer, and hope that he changes his mind down the line.

Offseason Keys: New York Rangers

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While the playoffs are well underway, many teams have already started their offseason planning.  What storylines lie ahead around the league in what is shaping up to be a likely busy NHL offseason?  Next up in our Offseason Keys series is a look at the New York Rangers.

Back in the 2017-18 season, the Rangers announced that they were entering a rebuilding phase so it didn’t come as a surprise to many that they missed the playoffs by a considerable margin this past season.  New head coach David Quinn got an opportunity to play several young players and despite a thinned out roster, they were still competitive most nights.  They enter the offseason with the number two pick after securing a victory in the Draft Lottery but there are several other keys to their offseason.

Kreider Extension Talks

Several impact veterans have been shipped out over the last couple of seasons as they were in or approaching the final year of their respective contracts.  The next in line that they need to make a decision on is winger Chris Kreider who will be in the final year of his contract next season.

The 28-year-old has been inconsistent in recent years.  At times, his combination of size and speed makes him a real threat as a power forward but at others, he has been more of a perimeter-oriented player that has a penchant for cold streaks.  That complicates things a little bit for GM Jeff Gorton.  There’s no denying that he can be a dominant player at times but because of the highs and lows of his play, how much of a raise on his current $4.625MM AAV can they realistically justify?

If the two sides quickly realize that they’re too far apart on a contract, Kreider is someone who could plausibly hit the trade block this offseason over waiting to make an in-season deal as they did with Kevin Hayes and Mats Zuccarello.  There would be no shortage of interest around the league in his services though it’s worth noting that he has an 11-team no-trade list.  The sooner they find out what it’s going to cost, the better it is for them, especially with the cap space at their disposal this summer.  Speaking of which…

Spend Wisely

As a result of moving out several veterans recently, New York has plenty of cap space to work with for next season.  CapFriendly pegs them at just under $64MM committed to 19 players already for next season with winger Pavel Buchnevich standing as likely the most notable restricted free agent to re-sign.  In other words, they’re going to have a big chunk of cap space at their disposal in July.

While some expect them to go after a big name player or two, there are some potential drawbacks to that approach.  Doing so will limit the ice time of their younger players while also limiting their flexibility to lock those players up long-term after as their payroll room will be limited.  On the other hand, it’s hard to pass up the opportunity to add a core piece or two when the opportunity presents itself.

Knowing that a potential new deal for Kreider will be pricey and that extension talks for promising youngsters Lias Andersson, Filip Chytil, and Brett Howden are only a year away from occurring, Gorton likely won’t look to do long-term deals with all of his potential targets.  Finding a buffer player or two to assist in the short-term will also likely be on their target list.  The Rangers have been big spenders in the past and have the potential to do so again this summer which will undoubtedly make them a team to watch for.

Rebuild The Defense

Back when they dealt Ryan McDonagh to Tampa Bay in 2017-18, the status of New York’s back end wasn’t ideal.  There was a mixture of underachieving veterans and unproven (but promising) youngsters.  Fast forward to today and nothing has really changed.

Marc Staal is a serviceable stay-at-home player but is vastly overpaid for his role.  Kevin Shattenkirk has underachieved considerably after being a big signing just two summers ago.  Brady Skjei had an up-and-down year.  Youngsters Neal Pionk, Anthony DeAngelo, Libor Hajek, and the just-acquired Adam Fox have upside but there are still question marks.  There’s the making of a capable defense corps in this group but they will need some reinforcements to take a step forward.

If Gorton decides to look to add some veteran players this summer, adding a top-four defender needs to be at or near the top of the priority list.  That will take a bit of pressure off some of the younger players and lower the ice time for the underachievers at the same time.  New York was near the bottom of the league in goals allowed this past season and adding to that back end would go a long way in helping turn their fortunes around.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Rangers Tried To Trade Kevin Shattenkirk During The Season

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Kevin Shattenkirk’s time in New York has not gone as well as he or the Rangers had hoped.  Two years into his pricey contract, he found himself a healthy scratch at times last season.  Not surprisingly, Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that the team tried to trade the 30-year-old earlier in the season while being willing to retain 50% of his contract but had limited interest.

While Shattenkirk has never been known as a defensive dynamo, he had been a consistent point producer, notching at least 43 points in five of the six seasons before signing with New York.  (The one season he didn’t was the lockout-shortened campaign.)  However, that level of production hasn’t followed him; Shattenkirk had just 28 points in 2018-19, the lowest of any full season he has played.

New York has Neal Pionk and Anthony DeAngelo returning for next season on the right side while Brendan Smith, who Brooks notes is a buyout candidate, is also on the roster.  The recently-acquired Adam Fox just put pen to paper on an entry-level deal and could very well push for a roster spot right away.  That could very well push Shattenkirk outside of the lineup on a regular basis which should only increase their efforts to move him.

Shattenkirk has two years remaining on his contract that carries a $6.65MM AAV although the salary is lower than that in each season.  While he hasn’t fit in well at all with the Rangers, there could be a team this summer that could show some interest depending on how things go on the trade market or in free agency.  Even if that happens, it appears that GM Jeff Gorton will be selling quite low to do so, a rough turn of events for their prized free agent signing just two years ago.

New York Rangers Agree To Terms With Vitali Kravtsov, Igor Shesterkin

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For the second day in a row, the New York Rangers have signed a top prospect. After convincing Adam Fox to forego his senior season at Harvard yesterday, the Rangers have finalized an entry-level contract with Vitali Kravtsov, according to CapFriendly. Kravtsov will earn the full $925K maximum in each of his three years, and can also earn up to $850K in performance bonuses. Notably, the deal also includes a European Assignment Clause that would give him the option of returning to the KHL if the Rangers decide to keep him in the minor leagues.

The team also announced that they have agreed to terms with goaltender Igor Shesterkin, another top prospect who spent the last several seasons in the KHL.

Kravtsov, 19, was the ninth-overall pick in last June’s draft and impressed on several stages this season. In 50 games with Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL he recorded eight goals and 21 points, solid production for a player his age, and really starred at the international level. Kravtsov recorded six points in seven games with Team Russia at the World Junior tournament, helping them secure a bronze medal. The big winger can contribute no matter what kind of game his team wants to play, bringing physicality, speed and skill in bunches.

The Rangers already have several young forwards ready to make a splash at the NHL level, and will likely add either Jack Hughes or Kaapo Kakko with the second-overall pick this year. The idea of lining up Kakko, Kravtsov, Lias Andersson, Filip Chytil and Brett Howden as they grow and develop has to be exciting for GM Jeff Gorton, who has done a nice job quickly rebuilding the team.

It’s not just forwards that Rangers fans have to look forward to though, as Shesterkin is an impressive talent in his own right. Originally a fourth-round selection in 2014, the 23-year old goaltender has been one of the best in the KHL for the last three years. Leading the league with a .953 save percentage this season in 28 games with St. Petersburg, Shesterkin had an almost unbelievably low goals against average of 1.11.

His arrival does pose some questions for the future however. Henrik Lundqvist still has two years left on his massive contract that carries an $8.5MM cap hit, but young Alexandar Georgiev has also shown he can handle play at the NHL level. With Shesterkin coming to North America the Rangers now have some decisions to make on how long they will wait before installing one of their young Russian goaltenders in the net full time. Lunqvist has said in the past that he wants to stick around New York and even turned down the opportunity of a trade last year. The 37-year old goaltender has a full no-movement clause in his contract.

Adam Fox Signs Entry-Level Contract

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It’s official now, Adam Fox will not return to Harvard for his senior season. The New York Rangers today announced a three-year entry-level contract for their newest prospect, recently acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes. Fox’s contract will kick in for the 2019-20 season.

The 21-year old defenseman was originally selected by the Calgary Flames in 2016, but after making it clear to them he did not intend to sign the team attached him to Dougie Hamilton and Micheal Ferland and sent him to Carolina. The trade made huge waves in the hockey world as it saw Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin go the other way, leaving some to point to Fox as the “key to the deal” for the Hurricanes, given Ferland’s expiring contract and the big potential heading to Calgary. While the Flames certainly don’t regret the deal after Lindholm broke out playing with Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan, the Hurricanes aren’t doing so bad either—Hamilton has seven points in ten games for Carolina, who are on the brink of making it to the third round.

After Fox indicated that he wouldn’t sign with the Hurricanes either, it became clear that they would need to try and work out a deal with the Rangers this summer. The young defenseman could have become an unrestricted free agent in the 2020 offseason after his senior year at Harvard, and was expected to sign with New York anyway. As he puts it, Fox “grew up a big Rangers fan, and to have the opportunity to hopefully suit up for them is definitely special.”

He’ll likely get that chance next season, as Fox is already a polished player ready for the NHL level. The right-handed defenseman is a natural powerplay quarterback that racked up 48 points in 33 games as a junior and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker. He has already far outgrown the third-round label, but will have to continue to develop if he’s ever to log big minutes for the Rangers in the defensive end. That will be the next test, now that his college career is behind him.

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