The Rangers could still trade Braden Schneider despite his new contract

As the New York Rangers may have secured Brandon Schneider with the new contract, the young defenseman remains a potential trade candidate, as the team continues to reshape the roster for the upcoming 2023-24 NHL season. It is to be noted that Brandon Schneider recently signed a one-year contract extension with the Rangers, avoiding salary arbitration and putting months of trade speculation to rest. However, according to The Athletic's Rangers insider Vince Mercogliano, New York has not completely closed the door on moving the 24-year-old blue-liner. It is suggested that the Rangers are still open to trading Braden Schneider despite a new contract. New York Rangers still open to trading defenseman Braden Schneider despite new $5.5 million contract The New York Rangers may have signed defenseman Braden Schneider to a new contract, but that has not ended the speculation surrounding his future with the franchise. According to reports, the Rangers remain open to listening to trade offers for Schneider, despite recently signing the 24-year-old to a one-year, $5.5 million contract extension that avoided salary arbitration. This was disclosed by NHL insider Vince Mercogliano of The Athletic. Mercogliano discussed Schneider's situation on The Flying V podcast, saying that Rangers general manager Chris Drury is interested in trading if another team shows interest in the young blueliner. While Mercogliano does not view a trade as imminent, he suggested New York would consider moving Schneider if the right offer helps improve another area of the roster. The reason behind this decision is possibly to land a new forward, and the team’s current financial limitations mean landing a quality forward via trade appears more likely than free agency. In fact, New York's growing depth on defense is one reason Schneider continues to surface in trade discussions. The Rangers already have Adam Fox, Vladislav Gavrikov, Marcus Pettersson, and newly acquired Sean Durzi under contract, giving the club several established options on the blue line. Nevertheless, Schneider's name has been linked to trade rumors for months, as his name was linked with the Boston Bruins before he agreed to his new deal, and other clubs who are looking for a right-shot defenseman ahead of the 2026-27 season. As for his performance, Schneider played in all 82 games last season and posted 18 points, 2 goals, and 16 assists. He was one of only three players in the NHL in 2025-26 to notch 160 or more hits and 140 or more blocked shots. Moreover, the 24-year-old player has also established a career high in average ice time at 20:27. It is to be noted that Braden Schneider was selected 19th overall by the Rangers in the 2020 NHL Draft. Schneider debuted in January 2022 and has collected 87 points (20 goals, 67 assists) over 368 games. In 43 postseason games, he has six points so far. Although the Rangers have not actively shopped Schneider, the latest report suggests the organization is willing to explore all options as it continues reshaping its roster.