Eric Bolte-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/5551fcad-a370-4d39-80c7-78372f3bb9f1.jpeg] Eric Bolte-Imagn Images The New York Rangers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers] and the fanbase expect big things from Braden Schneider. Since playing his first games with the Rangers in 2021, we’ve seen Schneider grow and continue to develop every year. Going into the 2025-26 season, there was an expectation among many that Schneider could take his biggest leap yet and blossom into a surefire top-four defenseman. However, Mike Sullivan opted to keep Schneider on the bottom pairing in order to balance out his defensive core. Schneider is averaging 18:16 minutes per game, which is fourth among Rangers’ defenseman, so Sullivan found a way to give Schneider top-four minutes while also keeping a balanced attack. When it comes to his defensive game, Schneider likes where he’s at, but also knows there’s more he can unlock. “I think it has had its ups and downs,” Schneider said of his game. “I’m feeling that I’m doing a lot of good things. I think when I'm playing at my best, I really like my game. I think it’s been going in the right direction. I really like my start. I think (there have been) a couple of hiccups, where you feel like you weren't at your best. Overall, I think it’s been a pretty good start… “I think I got to make sure that I'm steadily being physical. You got to make sure you’re doing the little details right. Boxing guys out, having good gaps, good stick details, making good outlet passes, and making sure you’re staying ready at all times.” Sullivan has given Schneider an opportunity to expand his offensive game by awarding him a role on the second power-play unit. The 24-year-old defenseman believes that this new opportunity has helped build up his offensive confidence. “When you get those touches on the power play, there’s a little bit more swag, a little bit more bounce in your game,” Schneider said. “You want to try to create and produce in that way. It has helped my confidence and my game for sure.” When watching Schneider play, it’s easy to see he has all of the tools and talent to blossom into an impactful top-four blueliner. Mike Sullivan Looking To Expand Braden Schneider's Game [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/2fdac406-a535-4260-ae9f-e9fdc7ae1a4a.jpeg] Mike Sullivan Looking To Expand Braden Schneider's Game The expectations for Braden Schneider going into the 2025-26 season were for him to elevate himself as one of the New York Rangers’ top defensemen. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/latest-news/mike-sullivan-looking-to-expand-braden-schneider-s-game] Now, it’s about putting everything together. When talking about Schneider, Sullivan used the word consistency. Sullivan loves what Schneider brings to the table, but he wants to see him play at a more consistent level. “Schneids has the ability, very similar to Will Borgen, to bring a certain hardness to our defense core, both physically, but also with his mobility and his stick and just being hard to play against… I think Schneids can bring that dimension to our team. I think he can do it a little bit more consistently than he has to this point. That's a conversation that we've had,” Sullivan said. “I think he's had moments in games where he's noticeable with how well he defends, how physical he is, he's strong, he has good size, he has got real good mobility, he doesn't get beat wide hardly at all because of his mobility. The challenge is bringing that consistently game in and game out.” There’s even more to Schneider’s game that we have yet to see. Sullivan fully believes in Schneider’s potential. It’s the consistency aspect that Sullivan wants to see Schneider figure out, and we’ll see if he’s able to take those critical steps, which will help him reach his ultimate potential.
