- Rangers re-signed defenseman Braden Schneider to a one-year, $5.5 million contract
- The deal wipes out a July 29 arbitration hearing that neither side wanted
- Read below for what the short-term contract means for Schneider’s future in New York
The Rangers took care of their last big piece of summer business.
New York agreed to terms with restricted free agent Braden Schneider on a one-year, $5.5 million deal Monday, avoiding a July 29 arbitration hearing. The team announced it on their account:
Schneider filed for arbitration on July 5 after the two sides could not get a longer deal done. That process can turn ugly, with the team arguing in a room why a player is worth less than he is asking. Both sides steered clear of it.
The 24-year-old is coming off the busiest season of his career. He played all 82 games and averaged 20:27 of ice time, both career highs, while putting up two goals and 16 assists for 18 points.
One of the more durable young defensemen in the league, he has barely missed a game since New York took him 19th overall in 2020.
The short term works for both. Schneider bets on himself for another year, and the Rangers keep a right-shot defenseman on the books without a long commitment. He stays a restricted free agent next summer and does not reach unrestricted free agency until 2028, so a bigger decision is still coming.
Under new head coach Mike Sullivan, New York has been one of the busiest teams this offseason. The Rangers added Marcus Pettersson, Sean Durzi, Pavel Dorofeyev and Oliver Bjorkstrand after finishing with the fourth-worst record in the league last season.
Schneider was the name still hanging over the room. Now he is back, and the blue line is set for training camp.
