NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 05: Braden Schneider #4 of the New York Rangers skates against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Madison Square Garden on March 05, 2026 in New York City. The Rangers defeated the Maple Leafs 6-2. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) Getty
ELMONT, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 27: Head coach Mike Sullivan of the New York Rangers arrives for the game against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on December 27, 2025 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) Getty
The New York Rangers will face a pivotal offseason in 2027.
Several contracts are set to expire, leaving many players up in the air.
One young defenseman is in a particularly intriguing spot.
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 05: Braden Schneider #4 of the New York Rangers skates against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Madison Square Garden on March 05, 2026 in New York City. The Rangers defeated the Maple Leafs 6-2. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Joe Yerdon of Bleacher Report shared which 2027 impending free agents he views as trade candidates during the 2026-27 season.
Named on his list was 25-year-old defenseman Braden Schneider .
"You get the feeling the Rangers don't want to give up on a younger player but also lack internal options to push him, and efforts to change that from the outside have fallen short," Yerdon wrote. "Schneider could be an ideal change-of-scenery candidate in a trade, but if fortunes change for the Rangers, he could benefit from that."
During his 2025-26 campaign, Schneider skated in 82 games and scored two goals with 16 assists for 18 points.
Schneider's most productive season was the year before, in 2024-25, when he skated in 80 games and logged six goals with 15 assists for 21 points.
Selected 19th overall in the first round of the 2020 NHL draft, Schneider is now approaching his sixth professional season.
He's spent his entire career with New York, but he will become a free agent this summer; he could soon find a new home.
Schneider is currently tied to a one-year, $5.5 million contract. He signed this deal on July 13, 2026.
Considering his underwhelming performance last year, his contract seemed to be an overpayment.
Looking ahead, he could have a handful of potential suitors scoping out his availability.
GettyELMONT, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 27: Head coach Mike Sullivan of the New York Rangers arrives for the game against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena on December 27, 2025 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
The Rangers lost their first two preseason matchups against the New Jersey Devils (3-2) and the New York Islanders (4-3).
But during their latest clash, they faced a rematch against the Devils and pulled off a tight 4-3 victory.
New York's first regular-season meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 29, against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden.
As predicted by Sean McIndoe of The Athletic , "There's a non-zero chance that the Rangers could surprise a few of us this year, given the Pavel Dorofeyev addition and how badly they underachieved last year. But they did finish dead last in the East, so even a modest improvement doesn't get them very far from bottom-feeder status."
The Rangers offer promise heading into their upcoming campaign, but it's worth noting that they have a lot to make up for after their persistent woes last year.
There are few certainties surrounding New York.
They're not without skill or talent, but injuries have been known to plague the team, and their offensive production dipped last season.
Now is the chance to turn things around.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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