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Rangers coach praises Braden Schneider: ‘playing extremely well right now’
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- Rangers coach praises Braden Schneider: ‘playing extremely well right now’
It's been a bit of a rollercoaster ride for Braden Schneider , but New York Rangers coach Mike Sullivan believes the young defenseman is in a good spot heading into the final three games of the 2025-26 season.
"I think he is playing extremely well right now," Sullivan said Friday , before the Rangers departed for Dallas, where they'll skate against the Stars on Saturday.
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And why does Sullivan believe the 24-year-old defenseman is so good these days?
"When he's simple with his puck possession, the decisions he's making with the puck are good. He's executing when he has the opportunity to go tape to tape. When he's not, he's recognizing when to make a simple play. And I just think that's an important element of being a good defenseman in today's game," Sullivan explained.
"He's not a guy that's forcing plays and giving our opponents an opportunity off turnovers, feeding a transition game. … I think 'Schneids' has done a good job most recently with his puck possession and recognizing the difference. He's also making plays when they're there."
Schneider admitted that being back on the second or third defense pair helped the overall improvement in his game. Earlier this season, he stepped into a top-pair role alongside Vladislav Gavrikov, when Adam Fox missed 27 games during two extended injury absences through December and January.
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The fifth-year pro struggled with the extra responsibility playing against the opposition's best players and top lines game after game. It's during this time that the Rangers season cratered, and they sank to the bottom of the Eastern Conference , ultimately eliminated from playoff contention on March 25.
"Early on in the year when Adam went down and playing that elevated role against top players, I think it was definitely a bit of a learning curve," Schneider stated after practice Friday. "I think it's finally starting to come together here. i think now that we kind of found our game, I've got that understanding more of what I need to do to be the player that can help this team get wins.
"It's definitely take time, and there've definitely been ups and downs throughout this year, but I think I've improved a lot."
'Hard-working' Braden Schneider earns praise from Rangers coach Mike Sullivan
Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Schneider hasn't missed a game all season, and is second among Rangers defenseman, behind Gavrikov, in most minutes played 5v5 and at all strengths. His average TOI of 20:31 is a career-high, and nearly three minutes more than last season.
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Though he only has two goals, even with power-play time earlier in the season, Schneider did establish a career best with 16 assists, and his 18 points are just three off his single-season high. Since March 5, Schneider has seven assists in 19 games.
Never a player with strong underlying numbers, Schneider's overall expect goal share of 37.52 percent, per Natural Stat Trick , isn't pretty, though weighed down by his extensive PK minutes. At 5v5, though, it's not much better — he has an xGF of 43.64 percent.
Though his name comes up often in trade rumors , especially heading into the offseason as a restricted free agent with arbitration rights, Schneider could prove too valuable as a physical, mobile, young right-shot defenseman for the Rangers to move on from. Especially with his strong play down the stretch partnered with impressive rookie Drew Fortescue .
Perhaps that's a second defense pair for years to come on Broadway. Then again, maybe Schneider's strong finish enhances his trade value to a point that general manager Chris Drury just can't say no to a deal.
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Either way, he earned some hard-won praise from his current coach.
"I think he's played really well. He defends hard, and, you know, he's a hard-working guy," Sullivan noted.
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