Who is Braden Schneider and why do Vancouver Canucks want him so bad?
As trade rumours swirl around the Vancouver Canucks, one player’s name continues to arise.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has name-dropped New York Rangers defenceman Braden Schneider as someone the Canucks desire. The young blueliner was also mentioned by Thomas Drance and Arthur Staple in a recent joint article for The Athletic.
This is not the first time the Canucks and Schneider have been linked. He’s been identified as a target as far back as 2021 during that season’s J.T. Miller-to-the-Rangers rumours.
The Canucks have been in pursuit of this player for years. But as much as they want Schneider, the Rangers have just as strong a desire to keep him. This push-pull has been a crucial roadblock in trade negotiations between the two teams.
“The guy I could see Canucks really like is Schneider, but I’m not convinced at all the Rangers would do that,” said Friedman on his podcast. “In fact, I’m pretty convinced they wouldn’t.”
“Having already declined to include Schneider in a swap for Miller prior to the 2021-22 trade deadline, it seems unlikely that [Rangers GM Chris Drury] would change his mind,” wrote Staple.
So who is this imposing blueliner NHL teams are lusting over?
The Rangers drafted Schneider with the 19th pick in 2020 out of the WHL, where he played for the Brandon Wheat Kings. He made his NHL debut in January 2022 and hasn’t looked back since, appearing in 246 NHL games to this point.
Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing more than 210 pounds, Schneider has the type of size NHL teams, especially the Canucks, covet. There are just 32 right-handed defencemen who are at least his height in the league right now, and even fewer who can move like the former first-round draft pick.
He’s only 23 years old and thus his best years are still to come. With 10 points in 40 games this year, nine of them coming at even-strength, he has offensive ability, and there’s potential for a two-way monster.
But things haven’t gone completely to plan for Schneider in his career thus far. He’s sixth among Rangers defencemen in ice-time so far this season, having not yet earned the trust of the coaching staff to command top-four minutes.
The Rangers are being outshot, outchanced, and outscored with Schneider on the ice at five-on-five this season. He’s yet to post a season where his team had a positive Corsi, shot share, goal share, or expected goal share during his minutes. That is concerning, although it can take blueliners longer to acclimate to the NHL.
Whichever team — no matter if it’s the Canucks, Rangers, or someone else — develops Schneider over the coming years is gambling his defence and smarts will take another step. It’s not a hugely risky bet, considering his obvious potential and progression thus far. If he does reach that level, he’ll be an extremely valuable piece for any team.