New York Rangers 2017-18 report cards: Brady Skjei
In his second full season with the New York Rangers, Brady Skjei went through the dreaded sophomore slump. Even though he struggled with personal and outside factors, he remains a bright spot in the Rangers’ future.
Brady Skjei struggled vastly in his sophomore season. He fell short of his 39 point rookie campaign where he had five goals and 34 assists in 80 games. In his full 82 game sophomore season, he had four goals and 21 assists for 25 points.
The Rangers struggled immensely on the defensive end this season. Poor deployment by former head coach Alain Vigneault caused the defense to be downright horrendous at times. Though they weren’t capable of this level of play, defensemen Steven Kampfer and Nick Holden were played on the top pairing. Ryan McDonagh played injured for most of the season while Kevin Shattenkirk struggled with a knee injury that ultimately sidelined him. Additionally, a struggling Brendan Smith was demoted to the AHL. Skjei was asked to fill holes both offensively and defensively, as he was the only defenseman to play all 82 games.
Skjei played quite well for what was asked of him. Yes his offensive production took a hit, but he was able to maintain his steady defensive ability. The main culprit for his defensive shortcomings was the inconsistency with his defense partners.
A Forced Slump
Brady Skjei began his season playing with a struggling Brendan Smith. At the time, it was hard to blame Smith as the entire roster had its struggles. Ultimately, Smith never quite found his game and was benched frequently. From there, Skjei was bounced up and down the defensive pairings. He never quite settled with a defense partner due to the incessant changing of line combinations.
In the first half of the season, he averaged about 20 minutes in total ice time. Once the injury bug bit, Skjei quickly moved up the depth ladder. In the second half of the season, he rarely fell below 20 minutes of total ice time. Once February and the trade deadline hit, Skjei’s ice time and responsibilities hit a high. The Rangers traded McDonagh to the Tampa Bay Lightning and shipped Holden up to the Boston Bruins. Additionally, the Rangers decided to let Smith try to rebuild his game, and demoted him to the AHL at the beginning of February.
With three new found holes and a multitude of injuries, the Rangers called up rookie defensemen John Gilmour and Neal Pionk. With such a lack of mentors, Brady once again found himself in a new role. Not only was he developing his own game, he was now aiding in the development of two young players.
Skjei was constantly finding himself in different roles throughout the season. Yes, most player’s roles change but how often do they change at this frequency? How often are players in their sophomore season expected to play top-line minutes with someone who has played less than 10 NHL games?
Next: New York Rangers 2017-18 report card: Neal Pionk
Overall, Brady Skjei’s struggles stemmed mostly from outside issues. None of this means that he will continue to struggle into next season. It is safe to say he will be a staple on the Rangers’ blue line for years to come.