The New York Rangers have struggled this season, but star defenseman Adam Fox’s elite play has been a bright spot. However, he is expected to miss extended time with an upper-body injury, and New York needs defensemen Braden Schneider and Scott Morrow to step up to help them survive Fox’s absence.
Braden Schneider’s Play Will Be Key
The Rangers drafted Schneider in the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft, and he made his NHL debut for them during the 2021-22 season when he was just 20 years old. He earned a spot in the lineup as a third-pairing defenseman and remained in the lineup for the postseason as New York made a run to the Eastern Conference Final.
Schneider provided consistent play on the Rangers’ third defense pairing and penalty kill while chipping in offensively. He finished with five goals and 13 assists in 81 games in 2022-23, five goals and 14 assists in 82 games in 2023-24, and six goals and 15 assists in 80 games last season. Though he showed promise, he remained on the third pair behind fellow right-handed defensemen Fox and Jacob Trouba.
When key defensemen missed time for the Rangers last season, Schneider moved into the top four and held his own. He even played well when he was moved to the left side. This season, he once again ended up on the third pair behind Fox and Will Borgen, but he played a bigger role when Borgen missed time, and he will be a key blueliner with Fox now out.
Schneider is a good skater who plays with physicality and is capable of clearing the front of the net. Though he is not shifty with the puck or an elite playmaker, he has a hard shot and can help the Rangers by making smart pinches in the offensive zone. He will also be spending more time playing against opponents’ top offensive players, and he needs to hold his own defensively.
Schneider will get an opportunity to play with Vladislav Gavrikov, who is off to an excellent start in his first season with New York, and the hope is that they can be a shutdown pair. He will certainly not replace Fox offensively, but he is capable of producing a little more offensively than he has thus far this season (one goal and four assists in 28 games.)
Big Opportunity for Scott Morrow
This offseason, the Rangers acquired Morrow and draft picks from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for K’Andre Miller. Morrow played well for UMass-Amherst, finishing with 93 points in 109 games over three seasons. He made his NHL debut in 2023-24, playing two games for Carolina.
Related: Grading the Rangers’ Trade of K’Andre Miller to the Hurricanes
Morrow spent the majority of last season with the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League (AHL), and he continued to put up impressive numbers, finishing with 13 goals and 26 assists in 52 games. He also had one goal and five assists in 14 regular-season games with the Hurricanes and was held without a point in five playoff games.
This season, Morrow has one goal and two assists in 12 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL and one assist in five games with the Rangers. Though he did not get much ice time in his first few games with New York, he should get more consistent playing time while Fox is out.
Morrow is shifty with the puck, has a good shot, and is a capable playmaker. The Rangers have not had much offensive production from their defensemen besides Fox, as Gavrikov is second on the team in points by a defenseman with 12, and Schneider and Carson Soucy are tied for third with five. Morrow is capable of generating offense at even strength, and he played on the team’s second power-play unit in their win against the Dallas Stars on Dec. 2.
The Rangers Need to Find a Way to Get Points With Fox Out
It will not be easy for the Rangers to find ways to win games without Fox, but they are already near the bottom of the standings and need to start winning games. They got off to a strong start in December with a 3-2 overtime victory against the Stars, and both Schneider and Morrow played well in the game. Both will play a bigger role with Fox out, and they will both need to step up to give New York a chance to win games.
