The New York Rangers remain open to trading away Braden Schneider this summer. Schneider’s future has been up in the air for months now. He was even previously linked with a move to the Boston Bruins in February. The defenseman, however, recently signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract extension with New York. This would seemingly put an end to trade rumors involving the blueliner. Nevertheless, this is not quite the case.
The Athletic’s Vince Mercogliano has revealed that Rangers general manager Chris Drury is likely “not hanging up the phone” if another team calls about Schneider. Speaking on his newest episode of The Flying V podcast, the reporter answered fan questions regarding the New York club. One Rangers supporter asked Mercogliano to rate Schneider’s chances of being dealt from one to 10 (10 being extremely likely that a trade will occur). The reporter replied by giving the move a 6/10 rating.
Leaning towards offloading a player you just signed may seem a bit odd. Mercogliano, however, explained the situation by pointing out specific factors. For starters, the New York Rangers have fellow blueliners Adam Fox, Vladislav Gavrikov, and Marcus Pettersson under contract for the foreseeable future. Newly acquired defenseman Sean Durzi is also signed to the summer of 2028.
As a result, Schneider is likely relegated to New York’s third line of defense. On top of this, Drury and the Rangers recently drafted highly rated blueliner Alberts Smits with the fifth-overall selection in the 2026 NHL draft. While Smits is expected to start the 2026-27 season in the AHL, the rookie will not likely stay in the minor league for long.
New York Rangers May Trade Braden Schneider to Land New Forward
GettyThe New York Rangers are still unsure about Braden Schneider’s future with the team.
Although the New York Rangers gave Schneider a short-term deal, Mercogliano reports that the team is “not sold” on him. Advanced statistics seem to support these internal concerns. The defenseman had some of the lowest Corsi and Fenwick scores among full-time Rangers players during the 2025-26 season. Schneider did not particularly excel with the puck or on defense throughout the year.
Drury giving the blueliner a one-year deal buys New York time, though. If a trade does not happen, Schneider is just a third-line defenseman for 2026-27. The extension, however, also gives the Rangers extra time to sort out a trade. New York is still in the market for a top-six forward, and the club can use Schneider to help bring one in. Due to the team’s current financial limitations, landing a quality forward via trade appears more likely than free agency.
New York May Take Advantage of Anaheim’s Financial Situation
It was recently revealed that the New York Rangers could soon target multiple Anaheim Ducks forwards. Because Anaheim recently gave Leo Carlsson an $18 million AAV extension, they will likely have to shed some salary. Troy Terry and Frank Vatrano are two potential options for the Rangers in this scenario.
Nevertheless, there are other deals out there for New York to consider. Because the Rangers only have around $2 million in projected cap space, trading Schneider (and his $5.5 million salary) may be the best option for Drury to add quality offense. If Schneider stays, New York will have to get creative to find extra funds to boost their top-six forward group.
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