New York Rangers Silver Lining
I know. You all want to forget about the playoffs. I do too. It was a horrible five games, one that made people feel like they were just beaten Game of Thrones style. There was, however, one positive from the pitiful five postseason games the New York Rangers played.
Brady Skjei
Before the season started, Skjei was already being touted as NHL-ready. Hockey’s Future described Skjei like this:
"“Skjei is a two-way defenseman whose game is stronger on the defensive side than it is on offense. He plays a sound game in his own end of the ice, is a very good skater for a player of his size, and has excellent hockey sense.”"
A logjam on defense forced him to AHL action for most of the year, where he thrived as a top-pairing defenseman. When called up to play in the NHL, albeit sporadically, he delivered; Skjei played more than 14 minutes in his seven regular season appearances, eclipsing the 20 minute mark twice. That’s a lot of minutes for a player who had never appeared in an NHL game outside of the preseason.
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Skjei’s was even more impressive in the playoffs; not only did he get a ton of minutes—he averaged 18:35 per-game—he showed how he can be an effective two-way defenseman. He recorded his first two NHL points, both assists, during the playoffs, while regularly jumping into the rush. Skjei’s smooth skating was on display as well; when he was involved in the offensive zone, and the puck would head the other way, he was back in position in only a couple of strides.
Skjei’s greatest attribute, though, might be his versatility; when Ryan McDonagh returned from injury in Game 3, Skjei slid over to the right side and didn’t miss a beat. Alain Vigneault, a notorious stickler for lefty-righty defense pairings, had no problem putting the rookie on the right side. In fact, he said Skjei was told to learn the right side after his second-to-last stint with the New York Rangers.
Skjei, who the Rangers picked in the first-round in 2012, will be in the NHL next season no matter what; there is no way the New York Rangers can justify him not being in the top-six rotation, especially after the defensive debacle that took place this season.
With Keith Yandle set to be an unrestricted free agent, and with Marc Staal starting to decline, it’s a godsend that Skjei is this good already. Given the Rangers lack of prospects on defense—and lack of prospects in general—they couldn’t wait another year for Skjei to develop.
Brady Skjei Looks Forward to the Summer
Skjei’s development also affects the Rangers plans moving forward this summer. There is no doubt that changes to the roster—mainly the defense—are coming this summer. There are already talks about Dan Girardi possibly being bought-out, in addition to the annual post-playoff Rick Nash trade rumors.
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If the New York Rangers can clear some cap-space—an incredibly difficult task, mind you—they might be able to re-sign Yandle, despite him being the the best defenseman on the free-agent market. And remember: Skjei can play the right side, which means Yandle could stay on the left side, where he’s most comfortable. This free-agent class, outside of Steven Stamkos, is incredibly weak; there aren’t many players who are going to come in and make a huge impact. If the Rangers are smart, other than re-signing Yandle, will sit out free agency, and focus on recouping some draft picks and prospects.
Having young players on controllable contracts who can play right away is one of the keys to long-term success in the salary cap era—just look at teams like the San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators; they’ve all had young pieces come up and play key roles.
Let’s be clear: the winds of change are blowing towards Madison Square Garden. The roster is going to look different come October. But Skeji’s rise changes a lot of things moving forward for the New York Rangers.