Adam Fox will be back in the New York Rangers' lineup on Wednesday afternoon against Washington after a 14-game absence.
The Rangers' top defenseman suffered an upper-body injury in New York's 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Nov. 29, when he was hit and went awkwardly into the boards. He appeared to be favoring his left arm as he left the ice.
Having Fox back gives the Rangers a needed boost, not just to their backend but overall. New York went 6-5-3 without him anchoring their top pairing with Vladislav Gavrikov, a duo that had been outscoring their opponents 16-11 prior to Fox's injury.
Beyond just his defensive excellence, Fox is a key part of the Rangers' 5-on-5 play =- he has three goals and 26 points in 27 games this season -- and is a stalwart presence on the team's top power play unit.
The Rangers sent Scott Morrow back to the American Hockey League on Wednesday to make room for Fox coming off Long Term Injured Reserve. The 23-year-old defender did well in his recall, notching two assists in 13 games.
New York is currently sixth in the Metropolitan Division and are two points out of a Wild Card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
