With a trip to the playoffs getting even more distant from the New York Rangers' reach, they did not help their chances in an 8-5 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday, and defenseman Adam Fox spoke on the frustration for the team after the loss.

“It's a [bad] feeling in here for sure,” Adam Fox said, via Dan Rosen of NHL.com. “We're hanging on by a thread at this point. But show up tomorrow and try to win a game. That's pretty much all we can do right now.”

The Rangers now have four games left in the season, including the second game of a back-to-back against the New York Islanders on Wednesday night. Then, the Rangers will play the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers on the road before finishing the regular season at home with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Some of these teams might not be playing meaningful hockey due to playoff positioning, but that remains to be seen, and they are tough teams on paper.

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Currently, the Rangers have 79 points and are tied with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Islanders and Detroit Red Wings in the Eastern Conference. The Montreal Canadiens have taken off and have a firm grasp on the last playoff spot at the moment with 87 points. The reality is that the Rangers are on the verge of being eliminated from the playoffs, and that could take place as soon as Thursday. Even if the Rangers win out, there is just so much that needs to go their way.

However, there is something to monitor down the stretch for the Rangers. They gave up a top-13 protected first-round pick in 2025 in the deal to acquire JT Miller from the Vancouver Canucks. Then, the Canucks flipped that draft pick to the Rangers' division rival Pittsburgh Penguins. Currently, the Rangers are 10th in the draft lottery order, so a few wins or losses in the last four games could determine whether or not the team has a first-round pick this season.

If the first-round pick does not convey for the Penguins this season, it would become an unprotected first-round pick in 2026, which is viewed as a stronger draft by many. So there is an argument that the Rangers winning enough so that the Penguins get the pick this year would be better, but that is subjective. Regardless, there are draft implications for the Rangers down the stretch.