2020 Draft, Braden Schneider

Rangers select Braden Schneider 19th Overall

Posted on by Adam Rotter in 2020 Draft, Braden Schneider

With the 19th pick overall, the Rangers select defenseman Braden Schneider of Brandon of the WHL

The Rangers traded #22 and #72 to Calgary for #19. They believed that the Devils were going to take Schneider with the 20th pick. (Brooks)

Following the draft, Jeff Gorton said the following about moving up, “He has high character. If you watch the playoffs this year you saw a lot of players like him that had success. He’s very hard to play against, he can move a puck, good size, he has the high character and leadership capabilities. He’s very mature, knows his game, understands exactly how he has to play. When you put it all together and combine it with how high we had him on our list, we just thought that moving up and giving up a third-round pick to move up some spots was a good decision for us.” (NHL Media)

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Schneider is 6-2, 202 and is a right handed shot.

Central Scouting says that he plays like Shea Weber and Schneider said that he models his game after Weber and Alex Pietrangelo.

Central Scouting’s report says, “displays a strong presence on the ice. Makes big hits in all three zones. Strong on his skates and hard to knock off the puck. Used in all situations. Likes to join the rush using deceptive speed. A complete package on the blue line who can control a game.”

From Central Scouting: “Won the Western Canada softball championships with the Prince Albert Astros in 2014 and 2015”

Craig Button said on NBCSN, “It’s going to be interesting because I don’t think the Ranger fans are going to like him and I don’t think David Quinn is going to like him because he’s really competitive and plays physical and he plays hard and he makes life miserable for opponents and he’s no fun to play against. All he has done in his three-years in the WHL is continuously improve, he’s improved his entire game, skating, puck play and if you want to get space against Braden Schneider, good luck, because he isn’t giving up easily, he’s after you in every moment of the game. He will jump into the attack and you watch a player who is raw at 15/16 and watch how much he’s progressed, it’s pretty impressive. He reminds me of Jacob Trouba with his approach to playing.”

The Hockey News wrote that Schneider’s best case is Toronto defenseman Jake Muzzin.

They wrote, “he’s a typical pro defenseman who will probably play in the NHL for 15-20 years. Big body, physical, skates very well, has a little bit of offense to his game. Just an all-around, terrific D-man who is responsible in his own zone. He’s strong, he plays like a pro now.”

Bob McKenzie said on NBCSN, “he is a right-handed, shut down D. He can be a PP shooter on a second PP, but he’s primarily a guy that gets in your face and is hard to play against.”

Pierre McGurie said on NBCSN, “there is a whole lot of nasty, an old school player. If you are a Ranger fan you think about Jeff Beukeboom and there is that old school nasty, in-your-face, grind you into the ground kind of player.”

Adam Rotter: I wasn’t surprised the Rangers moved up, but I was a little surprised they moved up to take a defenseman. With centers still on the board it seemed like they would go in that direction, but instead they take a player in Schneider who checks a lot of boxes for what the Rangers need more of: tough, physical, hard working defensemen. It was 10-years ago that the Rangers seemed to take a similar player in Dylan McIlrath, but skating and speed were always an issue for McIlrath and Schneider is considered to be a much better, more mobile skater. The Rangers are deep with defense prospects but Schneider brings a different kind of game than K’Andre Miller, Nils Lundkvist or Matthew Robertson. Time will tell, but we know for sure that the Rangers need more snarl and players that are hard to play against, Schneider is that.