After the initial frenzy of the offseason, the New York Rangers' main focus is solving the Braden Schneider dilemma. He was one of the 15 NHL players who filed for arbitration. The two will have to go to a neutral third party in order to figure out his new salary. This is a very frustrating process that can cause a lot of headaches for both sides. While Schneider does have upside, it is not enough to make going through this process worth it for the Rangers.
Schneider took a step back after a solid 2024-25 season. In 82 games, he racked up two goals and 16 assists for 18 points. This came with him averaging a career-high 20:27 minutes of ice time a night. While he spent the majority of the season on the third-pairing, he did get a few opportunities on the top pairing when Adam Fox was out with injuries. But he struggled during these stretches and was unable to show the team he could take the next step.
Whenever you give a young player more ice time, there is an expectation that they will perform better. That giving them more ice time or a better spot on the roster will help their development and unlock their potential.
This was not the case for Schneider. In fact, it was the opposite, as Schneider was noticeably worse the more ice time he had in a game. How can you feel comfortable committing to him if he has not shown you he can handle a bigger role?
Braden Schneider is not worth the headache of arbitration
There is also little opportunity for Schneider to move up on the roster. He had no chance at the top pairing with Fox and Vladimir Gavrikov penciled in for that role. The Rangers also revamped their second pairing this offseason. They acquired both Marcus Pettersson and Sean Durzi this offseason. This should be a strong pairing and be better than any combination involving Schneider. It all but forces Schneider to be a third-pairing defenseman.
With the money that the Rangers will have to give Schneider, it's not worth it to play him on the third pairing. There are many cheaper options on the market that will play just as well as Schneider. Sticking him on the third pairing will also hurt his trade value. Having him play in a limited role will make him a less desirable option. Moving him now will allow the Rangers to get decent value and capitalize on the current trade market.
While it is always risky to move someone as young as Schneider, he will never reach his potential with the Rangers. The best move is for the Rangers to trade him and get a good return.
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