New York Rangers Regular Season Review: Defense
By Conor Power
Braden Schneider
Another truly special player that seemed to emerge from the Rangers prospect pool this year, Braden Schneider finally made the jump to the NHL roster full time and he had become such an important player for the Rangers. Capable of sliding up the roster if needed, he had a solid season on the third pairing despite having an ever-changing cast beside him. It shows his adaptability and his pure skill.
Schnieder’s offense wasn’t anything special, but as a third-pairing defenseman that is still just 21 years of age, there’s no reason to complain with the 5 goals and 13 assists he contributed to this roster during the course of the season. For his first full season in the National Hockey League, this is impressive. There is still plenty of room for Schneider to develop and grow as a player, but this is strong.
He’s got some work to do in terms of his transition game. There’s still a long time for the player from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan to put together all the pieces and progress as a defenseman at the NHL level, but this was a really strong start. Outside of moving the puck in the neutral zone, there needs to be a step up in his aggression and physicality along the boards. There’s a lot to like about the young player.
Schneider is still progressing but this is going to be a good chance for the young man to get battle tested against one of the best teams in the league this season. It’s not a series where you would expect him to have a major part to play in the events that are going to unfold. Schneider has his entire career still ahead of him so this could be a good chance for him to gain some much-needed experience to take on future deep runs.