When the New York Rangers drafted Braden Schneider with the 19th pick of the 2020 draft, they felt they found a staple of their top four. Someone who would complement fellow young defenseman Adam Fox and provide stability on their blueline. However, entering his fifth season, Schneider has yet to come anywhere near these projections. Fans and the organization have begun to question whether Schneider can even be a solid NHL defenseman.
While Schneider has left a lot to be desired, he is getting his final opportunity to prove himself. With Fox being placed on long-term injured reserve with an upper-body injury, the Rangers have shuffled their defensive pairings. In this shuffle, Schneider has been moved up to the top pair to play alongside Vladislav Gavrikov. This is Schneider's last chance to prove he deserves a spot in this lineup.
Can Braden Schneider succeed in this new role?
Throughout his career, Schneider has not lived up to expectations. In 313 career games, he has registered 19 goals and 55 assists for 74 points. He has also delivered 152 hits, 132 blocked shots, and 22 takeaways. His advanced metrics don’t get much better, as according to Natural Stat Trick, he has an xGA of 216.4 and an HDCA of 947. These average out to 43.28 xGA and an HDCA of 189.4 per season.
These are not the numbers you want from a top-four defenseman. Especially considering that Schnedier has been described as a two-way defenseman. His strength is supposed to be in his defensive play and his ability to shut down opponents' offensive chances, something he has not been able to do while in the league. He's also been unable to use his physical style of play consistently.
If there is one person who can turn the Schneider season around, it’s Gavrikov. He, along with Fox, has created one of the best defensive pairings in the NHL. According to Moneypuck, the pairing had an xGoals Against per 60 Minutes of two and a Shot Attempt Against per 60 Minutes of 49.87. These are the best amongst Rangers pairs that have played 150 minutes. He has also seemed to raise Fox’s level of play as he was off to the best start of his career before the injury.
Playing with Gavrikov, along with getting 20+ minutes of ice time consistently, should be enough to get Schneider going. It's a situation that every young NHL defenseman dreams of having. That much playing time with a highly skilled defenseman should help him gain consistency and establish a good routine. This should help him identify the problems he’s been having and fix them.
But if Schneider continues to struggle and does not live up to expectations, it may be time for the Rangers to move on. If he can not succeed with this opportunity, there is little hope of him succeeding at all.