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New York Rangers: Time for Brady Skjei to become elite

By Andrew Steele-Davis

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 25: Brady Skjei #76 of the New York Rangers skates with the puck against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Madison Square Garden on March 25, 2019 in New York City. The Pittsburgh Penguins won 5-2. (Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 25: Brady Skjei #76 of the New York Rangers skates with the puck against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Madison Square Garden on March 25, 2019 in New York City. The Pittsburgh Penguins won 5-2. (Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 24: New York Rangers defenseman Brady Skjei (76) is congratulated by the bench after tying the game against the Washington Capitals very late in the third period on February 24, 2019, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 24: New York Rangers defenseman Brady Skjei (76) is congratulated by the bench after tying the game against the Washington Capitals very late in the third period on February 24, 2019, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Numbers game

As already mentioned, Skjei was quite the offensive force during his rookie year for the Rangers, putting up five goals and 34 assists in 80 games. He also had seven points on the power play.

However, the offensive production has dipped considerably since then with Skjei posting 25 points (four goals, 21 assists) in his sophomore year and 23 points (six goals, 17 assists) so far this season.

It has already been proved during that rookie season that the 25-year-old can be very productive in the offensive zone, and Skjei has also demonstrated that he possesses one hell of a slap shot as seen during the win against the New Jersey Devils on Feb. 23.

One issue that has affected his scoring is power play time.  In Skjei’s rookie season he averaged 1:23 of time on the power play per game. Last season it was 1:12.  This season he has only had 14 minutes of power play time total, an average of 12 seconds per game.

Perhaps it would be wise to look at another defenseman who has had a breakout season this year, Morgan Rielly of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Rielly was much higher draft pick, selected fifth overall in 2012, the same year as Skjei.  While Skjei continued his hockey education at the University of Minnesota, Rielly made the transition to the NHL almost immediately. This year, Rielly has exploded with 20 goals and 70 points, in his sixth pro season.

But where was Rielly after three years in the NHL?  He had nine goals and 27 assists and was  a minus 17, numbers similar to those of Skjei.

Now, Rielly has evolved into a lynchpin for the Leafs and he is now reportedly a leading contender to become the next captain of that storied franchise.

Rielly’s path would not be a bad one for Skjei to follow – they are both the same age so it isn’t out of the realms of possibility.

As a result, Skjei has to rediscover the mechanics that enabled him to be such an offensive threat in his rookie year if he is to reach the upper echelons of great D-men and become a force for the Rangers.

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