Igor Shesterkin’s Rangers need healthy Adam Fox to return to playoffs in 2026-27

Igor Shesterkin and the New York Rangers need a healthy Adam Fox to return to the playoffs in 2026-27 after a rough 2025-26 campaign.

The Rangers missed the playoffs for a second straight year in 2025-26, and their fate hinges on Fox and Shesterkin staying on the ice. Fox, the 2021 Norris Trophy winner, played just 55 games last season after two long injury stints. Shesterkin, 30, missed 13 games with a lower-body issue but remains one of the NHL’s top goalies.

What happened to the Rangers in 2025-26?

The Rangers finished outside the postseason for the second year in a row. Fox’s absence was especially costly: New York went 8-16-3 in games he missed. On January 6, 2026, Fox exited a game against the Devils with an injury-and Shesterkin left the same contest with his own lower-body problem. The Rangers then went 2-11-0 over their next 13 games and slid to the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

Fox still led the Rangers with 44 assists in 55 games, but his season was overshadowed by his omission from Team USA’s Olympic roster for Milan 2024. Critics questioned his speed and size after a subpar showing at the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off. Yet he remained the Rangers’ best two-way defenseman, driving their power play and controlling heavy minutes.

Why Shesterkin’s health matters for the Rangers’ turnaround

Shesterkin’s 2025-26 absence came in a stretch where the Rangers hemorrhaged goals. With Fox out, New York’s expected-goal-for rate dropped 12.9 percent and their high-danger scoring-chance ratio fell 16.2 percent at 5v5. The team was minus-14 without Fox and plus-11 with him, per Natural Stat Trick. Shesterkin’s presence in net stabilizes the entire lineup, but his own injury history adds pressure on the Rangers’ medical staff.

General manager Chris Drury reshaped the blue line this summer to ease the load on Fox and Shesterkin. He added Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson via trades, including a July 1 swap for Vincent Trocheck. The moves aim to keep Fox fresh and Shesterkin protected behind a deeper defense corps.

What’s next for Fox and Shesterkin in 2026-27?

Fox turns 29 in February 2027 and has never played more than 74 games in a single season. His durability is now the Rangers’ biggest question mark. Shesterkin, at 30, is in his prime but must avoid another 13-game absence. Both are central to New York’s playoff push.

Coach Mike Sullivan has stressed the need for play-drivers and puck-moving defensemen beyond Fox. The new additions should help, but the Rangers’ fate still rests on Fox’s health and Shesterkin’s consistency. If both stay upright, New York can climb back into the playoff race in the East.