It’s fair to look at the New York Rangers‘ whirlwind offseason and say, in a vacuum, it looks pretty good. Certainly, general manager Chris Drury took some risks. Still, the Rangers picked a lane, and there’s some validity to the lane the organization picked. Still, that lane has a giant pothole in it without a Braden Schneider trade.
The right-handed defenseman is a sore spot among some Rangers fans. Chris Drury’s failure to initiate a Braden Schneider trade may not doom the team, but it’s a missed opportunity. It’s an opportunity the team has missed repeatedly. It’s a missed opportunity like this that has helped drive sour fan sentiment around Drury and the Rangers.
Braden Schneider Trade Rumors
The young right-handed defenseman has long been coveted by the Vancouver Canucks. Reportedly, the Canucks tried to acquire Schneider twice. At least one of those Braden Schneider trade attempts involved J.T. Miller, according to TSN’s Elliotte Friedman.
Drury, who did not draft Schneider but was with the organization when Jeff Gorton made that choice, seems to place a high value on Schneider. It’s understandable when you look at the measurables. Schneider’s a very good skater for his size at 6-foot-3, 206 pounds. Despite a long-known lack of offense, Schneider’s measurables have long made him popular with the Rangers’ front office. Evidently, his popularity stretches around the league.
The Rangers likely could have moved Schneider multiple times. Certainly, it’s clear the Canucks were interested. After another difficult season in New York for Schneider, it’s fair to wonder if the Rangers made a mistake not including him in the 2025 trade for Miller instead of center Filip Chytil.
Chris Drury’s Depreciating Asset
After signing a one-year, $5.5 million deal, it’s starting to look like Drury overplayed his hand with Schneider. Soon to be 25, he’s no longer a prospect. Yet, multiple Rangers coaches have been hesitant to trust him with advanced responsibilities. Naturally, he’s always been behind Adam Fox. He also played behind Jacob Trouba and, at times, Will Borgen. In fact, some of Schneider’s best hockey came on the left next to Trouba, though that was in an exceptionally small sample size in 2024.
For a team that has struggled to develop young talent and has made it clear they want it, it makes sense that the Rangers didn’t rush a Braden Schneider trade. Yet, the best Schneider has ever shown is as a third-pairing defenseman. Now, that’s not meaningless. Yet, in a league with a salary cap, value matters. Had Chris Drury signed Schneider to a long-term deal at $5.5 million annually, you might be able to squint and see how they might recoup some value. If the Rangers determine they want to extend Schneider long-term, that number will be even higher with the salary cap continuing to rise.
If he’s now behind Sean Durzi as well, there’s simply no chance at getting surplus value out of Schneider. His advanced metrics generally haven’t been good, though his goal-differential numbers at five-on-five are more reasonable (minus-four at five-on-five for his career). This isn’t a player who drives play, and it’s not clear that his reputation physically really matches his on-ice style.
The Rangers had historic issues with goal scoring last season, particularly during the first half of the season. They also have a precarious situation at center, particularly long-term. Ideally, a Braden Schneider trade would have solved one of those problems, perhaps both. He may not help solve either now.
A Braden Schneider Trade Might Be Too Late
Last season, when trusted with the most responsibility of his career, Schneider struggled. 191 defensive pairings played at least 200 minutes together last season. Schneider, pressed into first-pair duties during Adam Fox’s injuries, played an astonishing 518 minutes with Vladislav Gavrikov. They were outscored 29-14, finishing 177th out of 191 in goals-for percentage among all 200+ minute pairs. Increasing the filter to 300+ minutes, that pair is 115th of 119 in goals-for percentage at 32.6 percent. There’s been a lot of conversation over what tanked the Rangers’ 2025-26 season, but the Gavrikov-Schneider marriage is near the top of the list.
The Rangers can clearly utilize his money better. Admittedly, the team isn’t strong internally on the right side. Scott Morrow showed less than the team hoped last year. Meanwhile, Vincent Iorio is a long shot to become an everyday NHL player. A little discomfort, however, might be the cost of doing business.
The Rangers may have missed the peak value of a Braden Schneider trade. Holding onto him until the valley only compounds the mistake.
New York Rangers Strong Offseason Marred by One Mistake