The Rangers may be staring at a familiar kind of roster question: whether Braden Schneider is more valuable to them as a trade chip than as a defenseman in their own lineup.
Vincent Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic wrote in a mailbag that the idea of New York sending Schneider to the Seattle Kraken for Shane Wright “isn’t a crazy idea,” though he noted the Kraken are believed to be looking for a scoring forward if they move Wright. Mercogliano also said the Rangers would like to move Schneider for offensive help.
If New York does shop Schneider, there are other teams that could make sense. Mercogliano mentioned the Anaheim Ducks, Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks as clubs that could have interest because they need help on the blue line. He also pointed to Columbus Blue Jackets center Kent Johnson and Calgary Flames forward Connor Zary as players who might benefit from a change of scenery.
For now, though, Schneider may still open the season in New York. The sense is that if general manager Chris Drury doesn’t land the right deal, Schneider stays put.
He’s on a one-year, $5.5 million contract and will be a restricted free agent afterward. If the Rangers are out of the playoff race, he could become a trade-deadline option, and a move next offseason is also on the table.
Another defenseman drawing attention is Montreal Canadiens blue-liner Arber Xhekaj, who remains an unsigned RFA. The Montreal Gazette reported that teams have already shown interest in him, including the Philadelphia Flyers, and David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period said last month that was the case.
The Calgary Flames could be part of that mix, too. Anthony Di Marco said that after the Blake Coleman trade, they no longer see Xhekaj as a fit, even though they had interest in him before.
And while the top of the NHL free-agent market has mostly been picked over, there are still some notable names left. Matt Larkin of Daily Faceoff listed the remaining UFAs, with Patrik Laine at No. 14 among the group. The rest of the list includes Logan Stanley, Vladimir Tarasenko, Michael Bunting, Eeli Tolvanen, Cam Talbot, John Klingberg, Nick Blankenburg, James van Riemsdyk, Connor Ingram, David Perron, Jonathan Drouin, Adam Henrique, Carson Soucy and James Reimer.
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