The New York Rangers have made progress on their summer agenda by securing defenseman Braden Schneider for an additional two seasons. Facing upcoming contract negotiations with several key players next year, GM Chris Drury managed the Schneider deal adeptly within limited financial flexibility. This move reflects Drury’s strategy of securing a team-friendly bridge contract amidst looming contract decisions for higher-profile players.
Rangers sign Schneider to a 2 x $2.2 million deal
According to Elliotte Friedman, Schneider’s new two-year contract carries an average annual salary of $2.2 million. With this agreement in place, the Rangers will have approximately $5 million remaining in cap space to negotiate a contract extension for defenseman Ryan Lindgren.
The Schneider deal is advantageous for both the team and the player. At 22 years old, Schneider has ample opportunity to showcase his abilities over the short term and potentially earn a significant salary increase in two years. The lower financial commitment also provides flexibility for the Rangers, enabling them to pursue larger contracts for upcoming free agents in 2025 such as Alexis Lafreniere and Igor Shesterkin.
What role will Schneider play this season?
It’s reasonable to predict that Schneider will play a bigger role going forward now that he has been confirmed for this season’s squad. Having played in the Rangers’ third defensive pairing for the majority of his career, he will probably move up after Erik Gustafsson leaves and after Jacob Trouba’s statistical slump.
Seeing Schneider and K’Andre Miller together as New York’s second defensive unit would be intriguing. Both are bigger forwards with distinctive physical qualities who have the potential to develop into formidable players on the ice should Peter Laviolette decide to give Schneider a shot in a more significant position.
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