The New York Rangers will activate defenseman Adam Fox and winger Conor Sheary from long-term injured reserve, along with goaltender Igor Shesterkin from the standard injured reserve, before their game against the Philadelphia Flyers tonight. Head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed these updates earlier today. Corresponding roster moves saw winger Brett Berard reassigned to AHL Hartford and goaltender Hugo Ollas sent to ECHL Bloomington, with both returning to minor leagues after serving as practice players during the Olympic break.
Current Team Performance and Playoff Outlook
Despite the return of these notable players following the Olympic hiatus, the Rangers face a challenging postseason outlook. Heading into the break, the team slumped to a 2-8-0 record in their last ten games, resulting in an overall 22-29-6 mark. This places New York as the sole Eastern Conference team with a sub-.500 record and entrenched eight points behind the final playoff position. Consequently, their chances for qualifying are minimal, although analytical forecasts assign them roughly a 10.4% probability of securing the first overall draft pick for the second time within seven years, according to MoneyPuck.
Impact of Panarin’s Departure and Offense Struggles
The reintegration of household names like Fox and Sheary will provide some much-needed depth to a Rangers team struggling offensively, especially after the early-month trade sending their leading scorer Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings. Since Panarin’s departure, only six players have surpassed the 25-point threshold this season, with 25 games remaining. This reduced offensive potency heightens the importance of Fox’s return to bolster the team’s scoring from the blue line.
Adam Fox’s Recovery and Performance Analysis
Adam Fox, 28, has rebounded strongly this season following a relatively subdued 2024-25 campaign by his standards, which still landed him 12th in Norris Trophy voting. The right-shot defenseman has contended with multiple injuries—both upper-body and lower-body—that limited him to 30 games played, including a 12-game absence before the Olympic break. Despite this, Fox accumulated four goals and 24 assists for 28 points, ranking eighth among NHL defensemen with an average of 0.93 points per game. His offensive involvement reached new heights this season, averaging 5.30 shot attempts per game and achieving career-best Corsi For percentages at 5-on-5, registering 56.4% actual and 11.7% relative marks, illustrating his significant on-ice influence.
Depth Challenges on the Rangers Defense
Outside of Fox, the Rangers’ right-shot defense depth remains thin. William Borgen offers reliable bottom-four shutdown capability but lacks the workload capacity for top-pair minutes. Young Vincent Iorio was acquired off waivers from the San Jose Sharks prior to the break to help alleviate defensive strain but appeared in just one game before the hiatus. In Fox’s absence, Braden Schneider has been promoted to top-pair duties alongside Vladislav Gavrikov, but their pairing has controlled only 42.5% of expected goals at 5-on-5 compared to 57.9% for the Gavrikov-Fox duo. This disparity underscores Fox’s value as the Rangers’ most impactful skater following Panarin’s exit.
Shesterkin’s Return to the Net After Injury
Igor Shesterkin, the star goaltender and 2022 Vezina Trophy winner, returns to the crease after suffering a lower-body injury in a game against the Colorado Mammoth on January 5. Since entering the league, Shesterkin has been central to the Rangers’ competitive edge. Though his 2023-24 season lacked Vezina votes—the first time since his rookie year—and coincided with New York missing the playoffs for the first time in four seasons, his current form suggests a rebound when healthy. This season, he maintains a .913 save percentage and a 2.45 goals-against average, both marked improvements over last year’s numbers.
Through 34 starts, the 30-year-old Russian goaltender has posted a 17-12-4 record and sits fifth in the NHL with 15.5 goals saved above expected. On a per-60-minute basis, his 0.464 goals saved ranking is fourth among goalies with at least 30 appearances, demonstrating his continued elite status despite injuries.
Consequences of Shesterkin’s Absence
The Rangers struggled significantly without Shesterkin in net, compiling only a 5-17-2 record during his absence. Backup Jonathan Quick, now 37, recorded a .890 save percentage in 19 starts and one relief appearance, while third-string goaltender Spencer Martin posted a .863 save percentage and 4.13 goals-against average across six appearances. In the 13 games without their star goalie leading up to the Olympic break, New York managed just two wins and conceded an average of 4.62 goals per game, highlighting the defensive vulnerabilities that Shesterkin’s presence had mitigated.
Conor Sheary’s Role and Performance Update
Winger Conor Sheary, 33, returns from injury to resume his role in the Rangers’ bottom-six forward group. After earning a two-way contract following a professional tryout in training camp, Sheary has struggled offensively, tallying just one goal and eight assists for nine points in 37 games, despite averaging 14:35 of ice time per contest—a career-high deployment over the past three years. Since the 2023-24 season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Sheary has managed only five goals in 99 games.
Having spent much of last season in the AHL, his performance in New York suggests a likely return to a minor-league role in the coming season. However, due to ongoing injuries to Adam Edstrom and Matt Rempe, Sheary will slot into the Rangers’ third line alongside Noah Laba and Brendan Brisson tonight. He has been sidelined since suffering a lower-body injury during a December 31 game against the Washington Capitals.
Outlook for the Team’s Remaining Season
While the Rangers’ playoff chances appear bleak, the reactivation of Fox, Shesterkin, and Sheary could stabilize the lineup and potentially improve competitiveness in the final 25 games. Fox’s return bolsters a weakened defensive unit, Shesterkin’s presence greatly improves goaltending reliability, and Sheary helps fill gaps created by injuries among bottom-six forwards. These changes may not reverse the team’s fortunes entirely but could enhance performance levels and fan engagement as the season closes. Attention now turns to roster adjustments, with New York needing to clear additional spots before officially confirming these player activations. The team must also address depth concerns and build for a more promising future beyond this season’s struggles.
Sullivan confirmed that Fox, Shesterkin and Sheary will play tonight. He said they want to give Edström a little more runway to get his timing back. #NYR https://t.co/Cm37kWo1J7
— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) February 26, 2026
