Adam Fox was back on the ice Wednesday morning with a handful of Rangers while wearing a red noncontact jersey during an optional morning skate ahead of their game at UBS Arena.
Head coach Mike Sullivan said before a 5-2 loss to the Islanders that it was “very” encouraging that Fox has taken this “next step” in his latest rehab and “it just suggests that he’s getting closer.”
Still, the 27-year-old Long Island native might run out of time to make it back to game action before the NHL shuts down next week for the Winter Olympics in Milan.
The Blueshirts only have three games remaining before the break — Thursday against the Isles at the Garden, Saturday in Pittsburgh and next Thursday at home against the Hurricanes.
“I don’t have an answer for you, but the fact that he’s joining the team obviously suggests that he’s in the last stages before his return to play,” Sullivan added.
Fox only has appeared in three games since Nov. 29 due to two separate stints on long-term injured reserve with an early shoulder injury and the lower-body issue the former Norris Trophy winner sustained on Jan. 5 against the Mammoth.
Goalie Igor Shesterkin, who suffered a lower-body injury in the same Jan. 5 game as Fox, worked out on the ice with goalie coach Jeff Malcolm Wednesday morning at the team’s Tarrytown training facility.
Sullivan said it’s “a fair statement” to say Fox is ahead of Shesterkin in their respective rehabs.
Forward Conor Sheary (lower-body) also took part in the optional skate wearing a noncontact jersey.
Spencer Martin got the start in net and allowed all five goals on 36 shots.
It marked his fourth start since Shesterkin was injured.
Sullivan has gone to more of a rotation lately between Martin and veteran Jonathan Quick.
“I think the biggest thing is just trying to set them both up for success,” Sullivan said. “We weren’t sure how the workload would be for a guy like Quickie and where he’s at in his career. So I think we get better versions of both guys when we share the work a little bit. That’s been my observation.”
