Why Braden Schneider might be the Rangers’ most underrated defenseman

New York Ranger Braden Schneider is overshadowed in his game. He plays with teammates who have big names, which means more media attention, but why does Schneider not get this? What Schneider will always give to the Rangers is his ability to show up for the team. This Blueshirt is more important than the big names that get the spotlight. Schneider may not grab the spotlight; instead, he quietly helps the Rangers win. 

Schneider is not the player fans tweet about; he’s the player who gives you wins. This defenseman has been with the Rangers his entire NHL career. If consistency won’t provide wins, what will? Schneider has shown consistency on the ice, delivering clean hits and blocks, and has recently begun to contribute to the offense. He will always be a defenseman, but he surprises fans occasionally by scoring goals. When he first entered the NHL as a Ranger, he scored a goal on his opening night. Schenider can easily perform under high-pressure events, and scoring on his NHL debut was the first step for him to show the Rangers that he will be a top defenseman who can also score.

He has played a total of 286 games with the Blueshirts, and even more to come. Schneider is finally fully recovered from his torn labrum in his shoulder. Throughout training camp, he has been operating at full power, avoiding overexertion by not pushing his body too hard after coming straight from recovery. Schenider finally played a preseason game with the Rangers against the Islanders. Nothing huge for Schneider in that game, but he did contribute with making an assist on a goal and providing blocks and hits for his fellow teammates. But just being out on the ice is a good start to a new season of hockey for this defenseman. 

Now that he has finally made it onto the ice after a long summer of recovery, Schneider should slowly make his way back into the spot he had before the injury. He still played well despite the injury, but now that it is long behind him, the potential for him to be even better than before has grown significantly. His stats back him up with everything he can give this season to the Rangers. He’s a defenseman, but has managed to get 18 goals this far into his career. Schneider also isn’t afraid to get dirty and protect his team, as he has 520 hits and 460 blocks in the regular season.

Schneider is an overlooked name on the roster, but still slept on by fans because he remains steady and consistent, rather than flashy with his success like other players. He can fly under the radar and give a good game by being the rock of the team. Demonstrating consistency and steadiness makes him a better hockey player. According to a famous children’s fable, “slow and steady wins the race”. That persistent performance over time is more beneficial to him than being on one day and not on another day. That is why Schneider will be a top defenseman in his future; he has the potential to be a great one and is already on his way, thanks to the effort he provides in every game he plays. Consistency is key for the Rangers, and Schnider delivers that.