New York Rangers: Five predictions for December

Brady Skjei continues to hold the defense down during Ryan McDonagh’s absence.

Brady Skjei led all skaters in minutes during Sunday’s overtime win against the Vancouver Canucks. The former Minnesota Golden Gopher played 27:49 including 23:48 at even strength. This is a sign of things to come for the upcoming month.

Ryan McDonagh has not looked himself for much of the season thus far. The lingering abdominal strain that has held the Rangers captain back will keep him out of the lineup, or limit his role. Skjei is more than capable of replacing McDonagh at even strength and on special teams while the captain is on the mend.

Expanding Skjei’s role would allow the second year defenseman to do what he does best. When Skjei is on the ice in the defensive zone, he can exit the zone better than anyone else on the team. This may seem over exaggerated, but compare Skjei’s zone exits to Marc Staal or Nick Holden’s and you’ll understand. It’s an adventure when one of Staal or Holden tries to transition to offense.

In terms of the bigger picture, giving Skjei a bigger role could pay off down the road. If Skjei holds his own on the top pair, it could convince the team that the soon to be 29 year old McDonagh is a valuable asset to cash in.