The New York Rangers have dealt with injuries to many of their key players this season, but they have continued to find ways to win games. When Adam Fox missed 10 games, Erik Gustafsson filled in nicely on defense, and with Filip Chytil out for the season, Vincent Trocheck is in the midst of an excellent season as the team’s second-line center. Now, with captain Jacob Trouba out for a few weeks, Braden Schneider has more responsibility on defense and is playing very well.
Schneider’s 2023-24 season
Though Schneider played well last season and as a rookie in 2021-22, he has remained a third-pair defenseman. He is a righty, as are Fox and Trouba, so he has yet to get an extended chance to be a top-four defenseman.
Last season, Schneider played with a defensive defenseman in Niko Mikkola, but this season, he is playing with an offensive defenseman in Gustafsson. Schneider has given the Rangers solid defensive play and has also contributed to the penalty kill. Though he has played with a defense-first mentality, he has still shown flashes of his offensive upside, including a beautiful game-winning goal in the third period of a 5-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Dec. 19.
Schneider was averaging approximately 15 minutes in ice time per game, but his ice time has increased in the Rangers’ last four games with Trouba out. He is playing on a pair with K’Andre Miller and has looked comfortable playing against the top players on opposing teams. He played over 21 minutes and was excellent defensively in a 1-0 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on March 12. He also joined the rush and scored a goal in a 6-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 14; he has four goals and 12 assists in 66 games this season.
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Like Trouba, Schneider is a physical defender who has size and blocks lots of shots. He is also a good skater, and his speed has helped him catch up to opposing forwards and beat opponents to loose pucks. He has played a big role in the Rangers winning three of their four games since Trouba’s injury.
The Rangers’ Depth on Defense
In each of the last two postseasons, the Rangers have relied heavily on their top four defensemen, while Schneider averaged just 11:09 in 20 playoff games in 2021-22 and 14:58 in seven playoff games in 2022-23. After two grueling seven-game series in 2021-22, the team’s top four defensemen started wearing down in their Eastern Conference Final matchup with the Lightning, which they lost in six games.
It would be very helpful to have a third defense pair that can get more ice time this postseason, and both Gustafsson and Schneider have played well when teammates’ injuries have forced them into the top four. The two have also played fairly well together on the third pair.
The Rangers also have offensive defenseman Zac Jones on their roster, and with Trouba out, he has played well on the team’s third pair after struggling to earn a spot in the lineup over the past few seasons. They also acquired a defensive defenseman in Chad Ruhwedel, who had one goal and three assists in 47 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins this season. He played 25 playoff games in three postseasons with his former team and won the Stanley Cup in 2016-17.
For Schneider and the Rangers Moving Forward
Right now, the Rangers need Schneider to keep up his strong play, as Trouba is expected to miss another week or two. Despite his strong play, he will likely move back to the third defense pair and play with Gustafsson once the team’s captain returns, though he certainly has a chance to earn a spot in the top four next season. The team’s third defense pair could be a strength for them this postseason, and that would take some pressure off their other blueliners.
At some point, Schneider is expected to become a top-four defenseman, and in his brief opportunity in the last week, he has played like one.
