The New York Rangers season came to a disappointing end with their 2-1 loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final. They did not generate enough scoring chances and were outplayed both at even strength and on special teams. Jacob Trouba, who broke his ankle in March, struggled and briefly got moved down to the third defense pair in favor of Braden Schneider. Additionally, veteran defenseman Erik Gustafsson struggled throughout the playoffs on the third defense pair.
Next season, the Rangers should commit to playing Schneider in the top four and keeping 23-year-old defenseman Zac Jones in the lineup.
Braden Schneider
The Rangers selected Schneider in the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft, and he made his debut for them during the 2021-22 season when he was just 20 years old. His smooth skating and physicality earned him a spot in the lineup for the rest of the season, and he played on the team’s third defense pair during their unexpected run to the Eastern Conference Final that season. He had no goals and three assists in 20 playoff games, averaging just over 11 minutes in ice time per game.
Schneider had five goals and 13 assists in 81 games last season and had five goals and 14 assists in 82 games this season. He spent most of both seasons playing on the third defense pair as fellow righties Trouba and Adam Fox played in the top four. However, when Trouba missed time late this regular season with what was later revealed to be a broken ankle, Schneider played well in the top four on a pair with K’Andre Miller. He also did a nice job on the penalty kill.
Related: Rangers’ Laviolette Was Wise to Split Up Defensemen Miller & Trouba
At times this postseason, Schneider played in the top four even though Trouba was also in the lineup. Still, head coach Peter Laviolette moved him back down to the third pair during the Rangers’ second-round matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes. He let his man score the game-tying goal in Game 5 of that series but mostly played solid defense in the postseason. He was not a big factor offensively but hit the post on a breakaway against the Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final. He ended up with no goals and two assists in 16 games.
The next step for Schneider is getting more comfortable making plays with the puck and getting more shots on goal from the point. He is already a strong defender and a much faster skater than Trouba. He also played well with Miller when the two were paired together this season.
Zac Jones
The Rangers drafted Jones in the third round of the 2019 NHL Draft. In 2020-21, he finished with nine goals and 15 assists in 29 games for UMass-Amherst and helped them win their first NCAA title. He finished with nine goals and 26 assists in 52 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL) in 2021-22. He developed a reputation as a skilled offensive defenseman and a quick skater.
His impressive play with the Wolf Pack earned him a few opportunities in the NHL. He played 10 games with the Rangers in 2020-21, 12 in 2021-22, and 16 in 2022-23. However, he struggled defensively and did not produce enough offensively to stay in the lineup, with just one goal and seven assists in those 38 games.
Jones spent much of this season as a healthy scratch, but when he filled in for injured defensemen, he played very well. He was much better defensively and created more scoring chances. He finished with two goals and seven assists in 31 games.
Towards the end of the regular season, he played his best hockey while veteran blueliner Gustafsson struggled. However, Laviolette opted to keep Gustafsson in the lineup for the playoffs, while Jones never got an opportunity to play in a playoff game.
Gustafsson will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and whether or not he returns to the Rangers, Jones deserves a spot in the team’s lineup next season.
For the Rangers Moving Forward
While the Rangers made it to the Eastern Conference Final, they were badly outplayed in many of their games against both the Hurricanes and Panthers but kept games close thanks to the stellar play of Igor Shesterkin in goal. They need to make some changes to help their star goalie, and they can start by trusting Schneider as a top-four defenseman and keeping Jones in the lineup.
