Braden Schneider, Rangers agree to two-year contract extension
Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider celebrates his goal with the team in the second period against the Islanders at Madison Square Garden on April 13. Credit: Corey Sipkin
Late in the 2023-24 season and late in the playoffs, young defenseman Braden Schneider stepped up from his role on the Rangers’ third defensive pair and settled into the top-four defense rotation, looking very much as if he belonged there. On Saturday, the Rangers signed the 22-year-old, who was a restricted free agent, to a two-year contract that, according to a source, carries an average annual value of $2.2 million.
Signing Schneider leaves the Rangers with about $5.97 million in space under the NHL’s $88 million salary cap for next season. They have one remaining restricted free agent to sign in defenseman Ryan Lindgren, who filed for arbitration last week.
Schneider, the second of the Rangers’ two first-round picks in the 2020 NHL Draft, played in all 82 regular-season games and all 16 playoff games in 2023-24. He had five goals, 14 assists and a plus/minus rating of minus-1 in the regular season plus 167 hits and 133 blocked shots, both of which were second most among Rangers defensemen. He played in all 16 playoff games and had two assists and a plus/minus rating of even.
“This year, I feel like with this [coaching] staff . . . I’ve learned a ton,’’ Schneider said at Breakup Day. “I feel like I’ve gained a ton of confidence. I was given a great opportunity, and I think I’ve just got to make sure I keep building on my game. I think there’s levels that I want to find still. There’s still a lot of growth and a lot of learning to go.’’
When defenseman Jacob Trouba missed 11 games late in the season with a broken ankle, Schneider — who for a time was called “Baby Trouba’’ by his teammates because of his physical similarities to Trouba (both are 6-3, just over 200 pounds and righthanded shots) — filled in for him on the second defense pair, partnering with K’Andre Miller.
Near the end of the playoffs, with Trouba struggling, coach Peter Laviolette flip-flopped Schneider and Trouba, moving Schneider up to play with Miller and dropping Trouba to the third pair to play with Erik Gustafsson.
Schneider and Miller generally received positive reviews for their play together, and with Trouba’s postseason struggles leading to all kinds of speculation about his future with the team — there were plenty of rumors earlier this summer that he might be traded — Schneider could become a fixture in the Rangers’ top four defensemen next season.
“Those two are unbelievable,’’ Lindgren said at Breakup Day of Schneider and Miller. “They work so hard. They care so much about each and every day. Just seeing them just get better and better every day, it’s huge for our group. The way those two stepped up and played big minutes against other teams’ top players, it’s obviously great for us to have them.’’
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
