Braden Schneider returned to the New York Rangers for the first time since April 12, and he reflected on what getting back meant to him after the team's preseason victory over the New York Islanders. Schneider had been limited in the preseason and training camp as part of his recovery from offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum, something that he's dealt with for multiple seasons.
Schneider had been waiting for this moment
Via Colin Stephenson of Newsday:
“All I'm thinking about for the last six months, basically, is wanting to get back and be healthy, and play hockey again,’’ he said. “And to go out there and kind of get thrown into the fire… against a full NHL lineup... it definitely knocked the rust off me a bit.’’
Schneider had surgery on April 17 to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder according to Mollie Walker of the New York Post. It was something that first bothered him during the 2022-23 season, and got worse over time.
That season was Schneider's second in the NHL, and he appeared in 81 games averaging 15:43 per game in a third-pair role. This past season, his fourth, he saw an increase in minutes, and averaged a career high 17:52 per game. Schneider ended the season with 21 points in 80 games, and it represented a career year offensively.
Goal is for healthy Schneider to be more effective player
Schneider wasn't at his best from an underlying numbers standpoint last season, and the hope is the injury played a role in his poor play. In 1,255 minutes at 5v5, Schneider had a 50.37 GF%, a 45.82 CF%, and a 46.82 xGF% per Evolving-Hockey. The only number that improved from the previous season was his goals for percentage, and that checks out with his uptick in scoring.
As a defenseman, it is more important for him to control the puck and suppress offense, and hopefully he does more of that with a healthy shoulder. It is possible he wasn't as comfortable putting himself in situations to separate players from the puck, and would explain why he had 146 hits after tallying 167 the year before. The slight dip might not have anything to do with his injury, and we should get a better sense this season depending on the type of game Schneider tries to bring to the lineup.
Sullivan believes in Schneider, will get creative with how he's utilized
Prior to the Rangers' preseason game vs. the Islanders, Mike Sullivan spoke with the media and talked about Schneider and how he could be utilized this season.
Via Peter Baugh of The Athletic:
Sullivan on Braden Schneider: “If we were to rank our defenseman top to bottom, we believe that Schneids is amongst the top four. But that doesn’t mean he has to play in the top four.”
He said they can get Schneider more ice through special teams + by moving around pairs in game
It remains to be seen how this will look in actuality for the Blueshirts. One guess would mean that Schneider will primarily remain on the third pair on the right side behind Adam Fox and William Borgen to start. There's also a world where Sullivan balances his second and third pair at even strength, and then boosts players by giving them time on special teams.
With Schneider returning from injury, the Rangers may ease him back into things to get a sense of where his game is at. The Rangers are counting on him, and him turning the corner would help the team raise their overall floor, and would go a long way toward the team rebounding from last year's down year and return to Stanley Cup contention. If Schneider, or any other defender falters, Scott Morrow will be waiting in the wings, and he's a player who can be a big part of the team's immediate future on defense.