6 Landing Spots for the Rangers' Braden Schneider Amid NHL Trade Rumors

On Jan. 16, the New York Rangers released an open letter from general manager Chris Drury announcing the club's plans to retool its roster. He indicated it would mean moving some players who helped the team reach the Eastern Conference Finals in 2022 and 2024, and win the Presidents' Trophy in 2023-24.

Rangers fans didn't have to wait long for the changes to take place. On Jan. 26, defenseman Carson Soucy was traded to the New York Islanders. Ten days later, superstar winger Artemi Panarin was shipped out to the Los Angeles Kings.

Drury might not be done making moves before the March 6 trade deadline. Center Vincent Trocheck has become the subject of trade rumors. On Jan. 22, Peter Baugh of The Athletic reported that forwards Alexis Lafrenière and Sam Carrick faced uncertain futures.

Braden Schneider has also surfaced in the rumor mill. On Jan. 17, Baugh's colleague Vincent Z. Mercogliano reported the 24-year-old defenseman could be moved. Four days later, Mollie Walker of The New York Post noted the San Jose Sharks were believed to be interested in Schneider.

A first-round pick (19th overall) by the Rangers in the 2020 draft, Schneider made his NHL debut in 2021-22, quickly establishing himself among their blue-line regulars. The 6'3", 206-pounder was expected to become a big-minute, physical shutdown defenseman.

Schneider has struggled this season, but the same can also be said for most of his teammates. He's in the final season of a two-year contract with an average annual value of $2.2 million. He does not have no-trade protection and is eligible to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this summer.

Despite his struggles, Schneider's size, youth, and defensive skills could make him an enticing trade target for teams seeking a potential top-four defenseman. Here's a look at six potential landing spots.

Boston Bruins

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A year ago, the Boston Bruins were near the bottom of the NHL standings. General manager Don Sweeney began retooling his roster by trading away veteran forwards Brad Marchand and Charlie Coyle, and defenseman Brandon Carlo, before the March trade deadline.

As this year's trade deadline approaches, the Bruins are jockeying for a wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference. Sweeney will likely be a buyer instead of a seller this year.

The Bruins attempted to acquire Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames. At one point, the Flames granted Sweeney permission to speak with the defenseman's camp about a contract extension. However, his efforts failed as Andersson was shipped to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Sweeney's attempt to acquire Andersson was a clear indication that the Bruins GM wants to shore up the depth on the right side of his blue line beyond first-pairing star Charlie McAvoy. That could have him set his sights on Braden Schneider as an affordable second-pairing option.

The Bruins have the trade-deadline cap space ($5.1 million) to take on Schneider. They could offer up big puck-moving left-shot blueliner Mason Lohrei straight up or bundled with a draft pick, though the Rangers might prefer one of their first-rounders in this or next year's draft.

Chicago Blackhawks

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Rebuilding continues in Chicago as they sit near the bottom of the league standings. General manager Kyle Davidson is expected to be a seller at the trade deadline, peddling his players who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents this summer.

Long-time Chicago defenseman Connor Murphy could be among the trade candidates. That would leave Davidson in need of an experienced right-shot blueliner.

Braden Schneider could be an option if Davidson seeks an immediate replacement for Murphy before the trade deadline. The 24-year-old is young enough to be a good fit within Chicago's rebuilding roster, but has more NHL experience than promising youngsters Sam Rinzel, Artyom Levshunov, and Louis Crevier combined.

Taking on the remainder of Schneider's contract won't put much of a dent into Chicago's projected trade deadline cap hit of $69.9 million. With $44.8 million in cap space for 2026-27, there's more than enough to re-sign Schneider and still leave plenty to re-sign rising superstar Connor Bedard.

Chicago has plenty of promising young players and prospects. They also have three second-round picks to draw on for trade bait. They won't part with Levshunov, Rinzel, or promising forward Anton Frondell, but Sacha Boisvert of Boston University could be enticing to the Rangers.

Dallas Stars

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A Western Conference finalist for the past three seasons, the Dallas Stars hope to break through as a Stanley Cup contender this season. General manager Jim Nill has a recent history of making moves before the trade deadline; the most notable being his acquisition of superstar winger Mikko Rantanen last year.

The Stars' right-side blue-line depth has been an ongoing issue for Nill. Beyond top defenseman Miro Heiskanen, the quality of talent drops significantly. That could be his focus as this year's trade deadline approaches.

Braden Schneider could be a fit with the Stars. Joining one of the top clubs in the league could improve his performance. Filling the second pairing right-side spot would see him skating alongside rising star Thomas Harley.

The Stars have a projected $3.3 million in trade deadline cap space. That's enough room to squeeze in the remainder of Schneider's cap hit, though Nill could request the Rangers retain part of it to give him a little more wiggle room.

Big left-shot defenseman Lian Bichsel, 21, could be part of the Rangers' asking price for Schneider. A prospect forward, such as Emil Hemming or Cameron Schmidt, could be used as a trade chip. The Stars lack a first-round pick in this year's draft, but Nill might be willing to part with their second-rounder for the right return.

Detroit Red Wings

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Sitting fourth overall in the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Red Wings are in a good position to bring their nine-year playoff drought to an end. That could push general manager Steve Yzerman into the trade market for a player or two to improve his club's postseason hopes before the March 6 deadline.

The Red Wings could seek an experienced right-shot defenseman to add to their second blue-line pairing. They're currently using rookie Axel Sandin-Pellikka in that role alongside Ben Chiarot. Recent speculation has linked them to Justin Faulk of the St. Louis Blues and Luke Schenn of the Winnipeg Jets.

Braden Schneider could be an option for the Red Wings if they prefer to add a younger defenseman with an affordable contract who has rights they'll control beyond this season. He's more of a shutdown rearguard than a puck-mover, but that could prove as valuable in the heavy going of postseason competition.

Salary cap space isn't an issue for the Red Wings. They're projected to have $59.4 million by the trade deadline, more than enough to take on the remainder of Schneider's contract.

The Rangers would probably love to get Sandin-Pellikka in return for Schneider, but the Red Wings won't part with him. They are well-stocked with promising prospects, such as center Nate Danielson, winger Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, and winger Carter Bear. One of them could be part of the Rangers' asking price.

Ottawa Senators

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The Ottawa Senators have had difficulties finding sufficient top-four depth on the right side of their defense corps for several years. Artem Zub, Nick Jensen, and Jordan Spence fill those spots on their current roster.

Top prospect Carter Yakemchuk is expected to fill the first or second-pairing role when he's finally NHL-ready. Nevertheless, they require more immediate help as they attempt to remain in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

On Feb. 4, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reported Senators general manager Steve Staios was shopping around for a top-four, right-shot defenseman and a top-six winger. He cited a source claiming MacKenzie Weegar of the Calgary Flames is on Staios' radar.

Braden Schneider could be a more cost-effective option for the Senators if Weegar is unavailable. He's not a puck-mover like Weegar, but his shutdown skills could reduce the workload for their struggling goaltenders and bolster their woeful penalty kill.

The Senators lack a first-round pick in this year's draft, and they won't part with Yakemchuk and could prefer hanging onto promising left-shot defenseman Logan Hensler. They have their 2026 second-rounder and three third-round picks plus their 2027 and 2028 first-rounders to use as trade bait.

San Jose Sharks

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As mentioned in the intro slide, the San Jose Sharks were reportedly interested in Braden Schneider. Mollie Walker of the New York Post indicated the Sharks are a young and promising team in a prime position to add to their roster before the March 6 trade deadline to push for a playoff berth.

Sharks general manager Mike Grier already made a notable addition by acquiring winger Kiefer Sherwood from the Vancouver Canucks last month. His next move before March 6 could be to bolster the right side of his defense corps.

Timothy Liljegren, John Klingberg, and Vincent Desharnais are the Sharks' top right-shot defensemen. They're also eligible for unrestricted free agent status on July 1, and it's possible that at least one of them won't be back next season.

Adding Schneider would give the Sharks a young, physical shutdown defenseman who can log over 20 minutes per game and could fit in well with this rising young roster. Schneider's restricted free agent status would give them a chance to ink him to a long-term deal at a reasonable average annual value.

The Sharks won't part with one of the two first-round picks they have in this year's draft, but they could give up their second-rounder as part of the return. They could draw on a deep prospect pool that includes goaltender Joshua Ravensbergen, wingers Igor Chernyshov and Quintin Musty, and defenseman Luca Cagnoni for trade bait.

Salary and contract info via PuckPedia, line combinations via Daily Faceoff, and prospect info via Daily Faceoff, The Athletic, and NHL.com.