Harvard defenceman Adam Fox has announced that he will return for a final year in the NCAA, likely signalling his route to the NHL through free agency. The Vancouver Canucks should make a play for the superstar puck-mover next year.
As one of the three assets the Carolina Hurricanes received from the Calgary Flames in exchange for the services of breakout star Elias Lindholm and stud defenseman Noah Hanifin, all eyes in Raleigh have been on the young Jericho, NY native. With his decision to forfeit the chance to turn pro this year, and thus likely run down his signing rights with the Canes, Fox’s decision to play a fourth and final year in the NCAA has made the majority of the NHL sit up and take notice.If there is even a 1% chance of Adam Fox signing with the Vancouver Canucks in the summer of 2020, Jim Benning needs to pull out all of the stops.
Who is Adam Fox?
Adam Fox is a right-handed puck-moving defenseman who has just completed his third season with Harvard in the NCAA. A Calgary Flames draft pick in 2016 (66th overall), he was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes in the summer of 2018 in that blockbuster deal that saw the Canes acquire Dougie Hamilton and uber-pest Micheal Ferland.
Although he attended the Canes’ prospect camp, and Canes management believed they would get him signed to play the stretch this season, Fox announced last week that he will return for a fourth and final year with Harvard. This means that it is highly likely that he will become a free agent in August 2020 and test the open market as a consequence.
He is a player that would improve every single team in the NHL, even the Nashville Predators and their vaunted blue line. As such, Jim Benning should already be preparing a pitch for his services.
Why should the Canucks throw their hat in the ring?
Adam Fox possesses game-breaking talent, and is considered by many to be the best defenseman not currently playing in the NHL. He has proven all he can in college hockey, and he is only playing that fourth season to allow him to finish his studies, and to test free agency in the summer of 2020. It is his immense talent, passing range and hockey IQ that would make him the dream free agent signing, and he could potentially form a deadly pairing with the Canucks’ own former NCAA star, Quinn Hughes.
Speaking of Hughes, guess who outscored him in the NCAA this season? Adam Fox. In fact, Fox outscored all NCAA defensemen bar Cale Makar, who matched Fox’s 48 points but by playing six more games. Fox scored at a 1.45 points-per-game clip – the highest of any skater in the entire league. He is an offensive force to be reckoned with and, for that very reason, will be in huge demand if and when he hits free agency. Look at this goal, one of several I could have selected for your viewing pleasure:
#TeamUSA and Canada tied, 2-2, after one period. #WJSS
— USA Hockey (@usahockey) August 5, 2017
Adam Fox evened the score with this goal late in the frame. pic.twitter.com/hR21BpWtpC
By the time Fox is able to sign freely with a team of his choosing, he will still be just 22 years of age – the perfect age to step into the Vancouver Canucks’ lineup and put this team into serious playoff contention.
What impact would his signing have on the team?
Fox would instantly become the team’s most dangerous right-handed defenseman and could turn into a sort of Ed Jovanovski to Alex Edler‘s Mattias Ohlund. With Chris Tanev a free agent in 2020, it is conceivable that the Canucks could have a top-four RHD spot there for the taking. In addition to his scoring attributes, Adam Fox would provide even more excitement for a fanbase that wants to see electrifying hockey played at Rogers Arena.
Two power play units quarterbacked by Fox and Hughes would give the Canucks one of the most feared power plays in the league, and would allow them to prey upon the fears of the opposition. An opponent that’s concentrating on not taking penalties is one that’s making mistakes at even strength – and by the 2020/21 season, the Canucks could have one of the most dangerous blue lines in the NHL if Adam Fox were to sign with the team.
It is very unlikely that Fox would consider signing with the Canucks, considering the rumours that he wants to play in his home town of New York and that the Flames traded him on the understanding that he didn’t want to play out West. However, players like this do not hit free agency very often – and if Jim Benning has even the smallest chance of signing Fox, he needs to offer him maximum ELC terms and ensure that the very best opportunities are provided to him. Signing Adam Fox next summer would be a step-change for this organization and would be a signal of intent to the rest of the NHL that the Canucks’ rebuild would be over.