SEATTLE — Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette has made it a habit to have pointed conversations with each of his players, and Braden Schneider is no exception.
The 22-year-old defenseman, according to Laviolette, did most of the talking.
That’s because Schneider knows he hasn’t had the smoothest start to the season, during which the third-year Rangers blueliner has fallen victim to some costly defensive lapses and seemingly struggled to nail down his reads within a new system.
“I think it’s definitely a little bit of adjustments and a little hesitation at some points,” Schneider told The Post of his evaluation of his game so far this season. “I think as each games goes on, I feel more confident within what we’re doing. I think it’s only going to be a little bit more time. I feel like each game I’ve taken a step to getting better and better. I just want to keep that going.
“Definitely a couple games where I wasn’t the most happy or satisfied with myself. I think, at the same time, you got to take the little things and I’ve tried my best to keep making sure I’m taking a step each day to getting better. I think it’s going to keep going up hopefully and I’m going to keep working for it.”
This is certainly new territory for Schneider, who didn’t flinch when he was called up in the middle of the 2021-22 season and quickly earned a permanent role on the right side of the Rangers’ third defensive pair.
The team’s 19th-overall pick in 2020 has largely been a steady, reliable presence on the back end despite having to go through D partners like used tissues.
Up until this season, it hasn’t seemed to affect Schneider at all.
Between adapting to a more detail-oriented system and adjusting to yet another new partner in Erik Gustafsson, who plays a much different game than any other defenseman he’s played with, Schneider has needed more time than usual to settle in.
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“I would say maybe a little bit of everything, but at the same time, it’s nothing that I’m not used to,” he said. “It’s not really much of an excuse. I think it’s just figuring it out and making sure that I’m making the reads quick and confidently and aggressively. I think that’s one thing I tried to make sure I’m telling myself going into games, is keeping aggressive, keeping on your toes, don’t hesitate and just trust yourself out there.”
His toughest game of the season — and probably the worst of his young career — was the 5-3 loss in Columbus when he skated alongside Zac Jones due to Ryan Lindgren’s absence with an upper-body injury.
The Rangers didn’t play well as a whole, but that duo had a particularly rough night as they were on the ice for two of Boone Jenner’s three goals, while Schneider was on for all three.
The Gustafsson-Schneider pairing has been solid, mostly because the Swedish defenseman, a new arrival, has proved to be the most impactful player the Rangers have had for that third-pair role in recent years.
In 45:08 of ice time together, Gustafsson and Schneider have been on for three Rangers goals and only one against.
The Rangers have out-attempted opponents 22-7 with that duo on the ice, as well, according to Natural Stat Trick.
“I think he’s gotten better,” Laviolette said of Schneider. “I actually think he had a really good camp. With regard to the regular season, he’s gotten better. We’ve talked about him establishing his game with a little bit of physicality and attitude. I really think that that’s come out in the last couple of games.
“I think he’s played a much simpler game, a harder game. Working to create his identity on how he’s going to play on a nightly basis.”