All signs point to Braden Schneider playing on the right side and not moving to the left side to serve a top-four defensive role.
Going into training camp, there was a lot of speculation that Schneider would take on a top-four responsibilities, potentially moving to the left side to create a pairing with Will Borgen.
Schneider admitted during his exit interview in April that he’s open to moving to the left side if he were asked to do so.
“It’s something that I’m definitely not opposed to,” Schneider said about the possibility of moving to the left side. “I obviously never played it at this level until this year. I think playing it this year and getting that confidence at that side, it’s definitely something I would not be opposed to. I would be confident in my abilities and ready to accept that challenge for sure.”
At the start of training camp, Schneider was still dealing with a torn labrum he suffered last year, which kept him sidelined for the first three preseason games.
During practices recently, Schneider has been consistently playing alongside Vaakanainen, while Borgen has been paired with Carson Soucy.
With Schneider yet to really take any reps on the left side with Borgen, Mike Sullivan seems to be indirectly giving hints that the 24-year-old defenseman will remain on the right side.
Sullivan believes that Schneider doesn't necessarily need to play a top-four role in order to receive top-four minutes.
Mike Sullivan Opens The Door To Braden Schneider Playing The Left Side
There’s an expectation that Braden Schneider will play an increased role for the New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers">Rangers</a> this upcoming season, but it will require him to make one major transition to what he’s traditionally accustomed to.
“If we were to rank our defenseman top to bottom, we believe that Schneids is amongst the top four,” Sullivan said. “But that doesn’t mean he has to play in the top four.”
Schneider is set to make his preseason debut on Monday night against the New York Islanders, paired alongside Vaakanainen, who, in all likelihood, will be his defensive partner to kick off the 2024-25 season.