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Three NHL players we didn’t expect to have a fantastic season in 2020-21

By Robert Belardi

Kirill Kaprizov #97 of the Minnesota Wild. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Kirill Kaprizov #97 of the Minnesota Wild. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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Adam Fox (23)
Adam Fox #23 of the New York Rangers. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Adam Fox, D – New York Rangers

The 23-year-old Jericho, New York native has quietly been lambasting his two previous General Managers with a star-studded season.

If it’s any story to vehemently prove doubters wrong, it’s this one. Fox, who was drafted No. 66 overall in 2015 by the Calgary Flames, never made a single appearance for the franchise. Hold the fast-forward button, three years later in 2018 the Calgary Flames executed one of the worst deals in recent years.

The Flames sent Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland and Adam Fox to the Carolina Hurricanes for Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm. Then, a year later in 2019, now former New York Rangers GM Jeff Gorton pulled the plug and acquired Fox from the Hurricanes in exchange for a 2019 Second-Round pick in the NHL Entry Draft and a Third-Round selection in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. This transaction was completed just after Fox recorded 48 points (9 G, 39 A) and a plus-23 rating with Harvard University.

In his rookie season, Fox recorded 42 points (8 G, 34 A) just as the Blueshirts sent Neal Pionk to the Winnipeg Jets in a deal in exchange for Jacob Trouba. But the Rangers never knew that they had a number one calibre defenseman all along in Fox, instead of trading for Trouba who they thought would be their catalyst on the backend. Or they have two catalysts at the same time. Not a bad investment either for that matter.

Adam Fox (23)
Adam Fox #23 of the New York Rangers. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

This season Fox has simply taken hold of the number one blueliner spot and is currently in the discussion for winning the Norris Trophy after a stellar 2020-21 regular season. What is also mind-boggling is the fact that Fox has more assists recorded this year than Erik Karlsson had in points.

If you’re the Calgary Flames and the Carolina Hurricanes, surely you’re rummaging through your paper work to understand why the deal was made. If you’re the New York Rangers, then you just might have stumbled on your future number one guy. He’s on the top defensive pairing with Ryan Lindgren and is on the first power play unit.

And, whatever happens in regards to the Norris Trophy this year, the Rangers can rest safely in the knowledge that they have a young franchise defenseman at their disposal who is primed to get better and better with age. That’s exciting.

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