Rangers defenseman knows ‘time to put big boy pants on’ after Adam Fox injury

You’ve got to hand it to Braden Schneider. The New York Rangers defenseman cut right to the chase Monday when asked about his increased responsibility, with teammate Adam Fox on LTIR with an upper-body injury.

“It’s an opportunity to step up and see if I can’t put the big boy pants on and do a job for us,” Schneider stated after practice.

Schneider bumped up from the third defense pair to take Fox’s spot on the No. 1 pair with Vladislav Gavrikov during practice Monday. Fox is out for at least 10 games, per the rules of being on LTIR, leaving a massive hole in the Rangers lineup for at least this month, if not longer.

Fox averages more than 23 minutes of ice-time per game; he and Gavrikov regularly play against opposing team’s top forwards 5v5. The 2021 Norris Trophy winner is also tied for the Rangers lead with 26 points, and ranks second among all NHL defensemen in scoring. His team-high 23 assists include 10 during his current six-game point streak.

The 27-year-old assisted on J.T. Miller’s goal Saturday in a 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, in the third period, Fox was blasted hard into the boards on a clean shoulder-to-shoulder check by Brandon Hagel, and didn’t finish the game

Rangers coach Mike Sullivan made sure to point out that it’s not just one player who must pick up the slack with Fox out, it’s the entire group. But make no mistake, there’ll be a lot more responsibility placed on Schneider now.

“I’ll do my best to play fast, play hard, and play the game I know how to play,” the 24-year-old explained. “Hopefully, we can get some wins.”

Schneider’s handled an increased role with more penalty-killing and power-play time already this season. His average TOI through 27 games sits at a career-high 18:27. And, as his “big boys pants” comment suggests, he’s been seeking a bigger opportunity 5v5 for quite some time now, after spending much of his five seasons as a third-pair staple.

With Fox and Will Borgen locked in ahead of him on the right side in the top four, Schneider remained on the bottom pair again this season. But now, he gets his chance to prove he’s capable of handling more important minutes against the League’s best, beginning Tuesday when the Rangers host the Dallas Stars at Madison Square Garden.

Speaking about the Gavrikov-Schneider pairing, Sullivan said “I think they just need to play their game.”

“I think that’s when they’re at their best. So, I think simplicity is an important element of that, defending hard, efficiency with the puck. I think that’s the game they play when they’re ay their best. And that’s what we expect them to bring.”

Rookie Scott Morrow, as expected, replaced Schneider on the third defense pair alongside Matthew Robertson.

Adam Edstrom injured during Rangers practice

As if losing one Adam from the lineup wasn’t enough for the Rangers, Adam Edstrom sustained a lower-body injury during practice Monday. The towering forward left the ice early, and Sullivan said he’s being evaluated for the LBI.

The Rangers have 13 forwards on the active roster, though only 12 practiced Monday. Taylor Raddysh missed practice due to personal reasons, so Conor Sheary, a healthy scratch the past three games, slotted in on the fourth line and second power-play unit.

Assuming Raddysh plays Tuesday, the Rangers need not make a roster move if Edstrom is out against the Stars, since they’d have 12 healthy forwards. However, they’d likely recall another forward just in case.

Gabe Perreault, Brennan Othmann, and Jaroslav Chmelar each was recalled by the Rangers for a brief run at different points earlier this season, and could be considered again.

Edstrom has four points (two goals, two assists) in 24 games this season, and is tied for second on the Rangers with a plus-5 rating.

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