2020 NHL Draft: About the Braden Schneider pick

The New York Rangers traded up to get a player they really wanted

When the New York Rangers traded a first and third round pick to move up in the draft, it was clear that they wanted a specific player.  That player was defenseman Braden Schneider.  While some experts had rated him very highly, the fact that the Blueshirts added another right-shot defenseman to a roster that already has too many  was a surprise to many.

The fact is, despite the mantra that teams always “draft the best available player,” in this case the Rangers were looking for a certain type of player.   They learned a lesson about their roster in their Stanley Cup Qualifier loss and they are on a mission to fix that.

What Gorton and Davidson said

Jeff Gorton was asked about trading up and why they picked Schneider.  He was clear in his answers. “When you make a trade like that, obviously we had him very high on our list.  He’s a player we’ve coveted for a while….we’ve seen him a lot, we know him a lot, he has high character.”

Gorton feels Schneider is the kind of player that successful play off teams need. “We watched the playoffs this year and we saw a lot of players like him that had success.  He’s very hard to play against, he can move a puck. He’s got good size. He has the high character and the leadership capabilities. You speak to him, he’s very mature, He knows his game, he understands exactly how he has to play. ”

“He’s very hard to play against, he can move a puck. He’s got good size. He has the high character and the leadership capabilities.”

It’s obvious that Alexis Lafrenière has many of the same qualities, but when presented with the opportunity to add that to the defense, they jumped at it.

Gorton said, “At the end of the day, when we moved up I think it says a lot of how we felt about Schneider. There was an opportunity going forward with our group,  his element was something that was a good blend of what we had already.”

John Davidson stressed the character issue, “…with Schneider, we’re getting a real high character individual, plays the game the right way. Just may sneak up on a lot of people with his offense. These are the types of pieces, when you look at you say, man, this is great.  We’re in a good spot.”

Who is Braden Schneider?

Four months ago we previewed the draft and singled out Schneider as a possible draft target for the Rangers.  Here’s what we said:

Schneider is a big (6’2″, 202 pounds) defenseman for the Brandon Wheat Kings in the WHL.  He has played three full seasons and boasts solid offensive numbers. This season he finished with seven goals and 42 points in 60 games.

This is NHL Central Scouting ‘s report: “Displays a strong presence on the ice. Makes big hits in all three zones. Strong on his skates and hard to knock off the puck. Used in all situations. Likes to join the rush using deceptive speed. A complete package on the blueline who can control a game.”

Their current player comparison was Shea Weber.

In the final mock draft rankings, Craig Button of TSN had Schneider going 15th overall to the Maple Leafs.  Bob McKenzie of TSN ranked him 17th overall.

Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News had the Rangers drafting Schneider, but at 22nd overall.  He had a glowing assessment of the young player: “When you already have an elite forward in the draft, you might as well add elsewhere. Schneider is a rock-solid two-way defenseman who plays physical and skews more towards the defensive side of things. But he does skate well and has ‘pro’ written all over him. ”

Chris Peters of ESPN has Schneider ranked 16th overall calling him a “physical presence with good two-way skills” who  “has the size and strength to make things difficult for forwards along the walls.”    Peters called Schneider one of the better all-around defensemen in the draft.

Steve Kournianos of the Draft Analyst had him pegged exactly at 19th, but going to the Calgary Flames who traded the pick to the Rangers.  Vince Mercogliano of LOHUD had the same projection.

Sportsnet had Schneider ranked 17th overall with this analysis: “One of the oldest players in this draft class, Schneider is a mobile, right shot D who will start out as a first-pass, stay-at-home type before progressing offensively.”

Corey Pronman of the Athletic (subscription required)  had him going to Washington with the 24th overall pick.   He had him ranked as the 25th best prospect in the draft and this is what one scout told him about Schneider: “He’s mobile, he’s hard to play against, he can make a very good first pass. The offense is never going to pop with him, but he has a lot of elements in his game that will translate to the NHL.”