New York Rangers Are Better With Brady Skjei On The Ice

Losing Ryan McDonagh to an injured hand was a huge blow for the New York Rangers as they entered their playoff matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, thanks to the play of Brady Skjei, the Rangers have been able to weather the storm in the early going, and he has earned ice time moving forward even if McDonagh comes back in this series.

The Rangers and their fans have anxiously awaited the arrival of Skjei, one of the team’s top prospects, and they have not been disappointed. He has been a revelation and has exceeded expectations as a rookie. In the Rangers’ 4-2 win in Game 2 on Saturday, Skjei received 19:02 of ice time and recorded a secondary assist that put the Rangers up 2-1 in the second period.

Skjei is one of the best skaters on the team, and he showcased his skills by getting in position time and time again while pushing the Penguins into their own zone when on offense. Skjei is the two-way defenseman this team needs moving forward.

When McDonagh returns, or rather if, the Rangers will face a conundrum. Skjei has earned playing time moving forward, and the Rangers can certainly use his skill set and his fresher legs. Alain Vigneault won’t bench one of his veterans like Dan Boyle or Dan Girardi, if Girardi returns healthy any time soon, regardless of merit. Every Rangers fan knows that Girardi probably should sit in favor of Skjei but Vigneault won’t sit him for an extended period of time if fully healthy. That “A” on his chest does carry some weight even if his play has warranted a benching. The Rangers, however, are better with Skjei on the ice and Girardi on the bench these days.

There is no doubt that Skjei is an upgrade on the Rangers’ blueline. They need to get him in the game and allow him to use his puck-handling skills, speed and skating to help exploit the Penguins’ defense. At the very least, Skjei has proven he can be an integral member of the Rangers moving forward.