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New York Rangers: Circumstances push Brady Skjei into veteran role

By Sean Treppedi

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 20: Brady Skjei #76 of the New York Rangers reacts after a goal by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the third period during their game at Madison Square Garden on March 20, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 20: Brady Skjei #76 of the New York Rangers reacts after a goal by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the third period during their game at Madison Square Garden on March 20, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /
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After drastic changes on the New York Rangers roster, the young Brady Skjei was thrust into the limelight on Broadway in only his sophomore season.

If you didn’t know any better, you might think that the 24-year-old New York Rangers defenseman, Brady Skjei, was a seasoned veteran in the NHL after watching this past season unfold.

Even for those of you that do know Skjei, we must remind ourselves that he only just finished his second full season in the league.

Skjei was an exciting development on the Rangers roster following his rookie season in 2016-17 where he was named to the NHL All-Rookie team.

Heading into last season, he was in a comfortable position in the lineup. Playing behind All-Star captain and time on Ice leader, Ryan McDonagh, the new blockbuster signee in Kevin Shattenkirk and the returning high expectations of Brendan Smith.

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While he was a big piece of the defensive core, the pressure and responsibilities were evenly shared amongst the group and more so on the veterans above him.

The Rangers front office can say all they want about how they started their rebuild last summer. However, it was quite obvious they still were heading into last season with playoff aspirations.

As the season unfolded, McDonagh was traded,  Shattenkirk was shut down and Smith was put on waivers, leaving Skjei as the Rangers most reliable defenseman.

It was a difficult position to be in for Skjei, as he was already taking an influx of rookie defenseman under his wing and leading by example with such limited pro experience.

His offense regressed as he tallied 25 points as opposed to the 39 in his rookie season and he ended the year -27.

Some have complained about his play last year. I, however, feel that this is not fair given what the circumstances were. He assumed massive responsibilities as a young player while the team was changing rapidly around him.

If anything, I think last season should expedite the evolution of Skjei’s progress. Once this roster is figured out, he will have a comfortable place where he can perform consistently.

Of course, Skjei is also a restricted free agent this summer and is viewed as a valuable trade asset. With the swirling rumors and the NHL entry draft approaching on Friday, who knows what this lineup is going to look like come October.

The Rangers have extended qualifying offers to all of their restricted free agent players (Skjei, Hayes, Vesey, Spooner, Namestnikov, Gilmour and O’Gara), but according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, there is no chance all will be here come training camp.

I think Skjei is one of the few players that have no chance of being involved in a move too young and too valuable. But, I said the same thing about J.T. Miller at the trade deadline. So, I guess no one is safe depending on what kind of rings Jeff Gorton gets.

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If Skjei is on this ice come October, I think the Rangers will be receiving elite services from him.

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