NY Rangers Could Move Young Defenseman This Summer in Retooling

Will the New York Rangers move one of their young defensemen this summer?

Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider (4) skates against the Washington Capitals during the second period at Madison Square Garden. / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

The New York Rangers have started up their offseason after a disappointing year, and changes will undoubtedly be coming for the team. 

Following missing the playoffs for the second straight year, the Rangers are entering a pivotal offseason that they need to get right. New York will continue its retooling this summer, with making the playoffs next year as the goal. 

This was a team that likely thought they would have been much better than their final record was this year, but now they have to be thinking about how to improve. Heading into the summer, the team has some good things in place that make it appear like they should be able to turn things around quickly. 

New York will head into the summer with a lot of cap space to be able to pursue free agents, and they will also have one of the top picks in the NHL Draft. This combination, along with working the trade market, will give the Rangers a plethora of options to improve. However, while they will be looking to add, they could also move some of their existing talent as well. 

Vincent Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic (subscription required) recently wrote about defenseman Braden Schneider as a player who could potentially be on the trade block this summer. 

Schneider Would Net a Strong Return

New York Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Despite being just 24 years old, Schneider was a name mentioned in trade rumors a bit during the season, and that will likely continue into this summer. At his age with an ability to have a big shot, he will certainly be an appealing player for a lot of teams if the Rangers do elect to entertain offers on him. 

This past season, he totaled 18 points with two goals and 16 assists. The former first-round pick really started to come into his own this year, playing just over 20 minutes per game for New York. 

As a restricted free agent this summer, the Rangers might not want to pay Schneider, and they have a desire to add some more puck-moving defenseman. If that ends up being the case, he would be a desirable asset to move, and it could make sense. 

Overall, New York is going to be an active team this winter, and multiple players are going to be on the trade block, it seems. Despite being young, Schneider seems like someone that they will listen to offers on.