There was never any real danger that Adam Fox would test the market. Apart from his status as a restricted free agent, his stated refusal to sign with any team besides the Rangers allowed him to maneuver his way out of two separate organizations before he ever played an NHL game.

The only question for Rangers general manager Chris Drury was how much Fox would end up costing; coming off a well-deserved Norris trophy and off to another running start on Broadway, Fox’s cap hit could have easily run into the eight digits and it wouldn’t have been a bad bet. With that in mind, the fact that he is currently slated to be “only” tied for the fourth-highest cap ($9.5 million) hit among all defencemen is something of a bargain.

And the fact that his contract basically expires around the time he’ll be