Sharks Would Be Good Fit if NY Rangers Elect to Trade Young Defenseman

If the New York Rangers elect to trade a young defenseman, the San Jose Sharks make a lot of sense.

Mar 14, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; View of a San Jose Sharks logo on a jersey worn by a member of the team during the third period at Bell Centre. / David Kirouac-Imagn Images

The New York Rangers are getting prepared for an important offseason, and there will undoubtedly be some changes to the roster this summer. 

Following coming in last place in the Eastern Conference, the Rangers are a team that is hoping to make some significant moves this summer to improve the team. New York has a lot of cap space to utilize in free agency, and with two first-round picks, it could be players in the trade market as well. 

Furthermore, even though their record was the worst in the conference, this is a team that has some good talent. Mika Zibanejad was one of the best scorers in the league last year. Also, Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin are two of the best players at their respective positions, and them being injured did have an impact on the team. 

While New York will be looking to make some additions, they will also potentially move some players as well. Vincent Trocheck is a name that has been mentioned quite a bit going back to the trade deadline, and he appears to be one of the more likely players to be dealt this summer. However, another name the Rangers might consider moving is defenseman Braden Schneider. 

Sharks a Good Fit For Schneider 

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

Even though he is just 24 years old and New York is seemingly looking to get younger while improving, the Rangers could elect to move on from the former first-round pick. Due to New York being heavily invested in Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov on their first line of defense, Schneider is a bit expendable for the team right now. 

This season, he totaled 18 points with two goals and 16 assists. Considering he saw his ice time go up to just over 20 minutes per game, which was a career-high, it was a bit disappointing not to see an increase in his offensive production. 

While Schneider is a young talent, New York moving on with their talented first line of defense does make sense. If they do make him available, one team that could use some help on defense that makes sense is the San Jose Sharks. 

The Sharks were able to jump up to the second overall pick, and as a young team that has a ton of talent, Schneider could be a nice fit. San Jose will likely be looking to get aggressive this summer to get in a position to contend, and adding Schneider could be a solid piece of the puzzle.