The New York Rangers had two first-round draft picks on Tuesday night. After selecting Alexis Lafreniere with the first overall pick, the Rangers traded up to not only snipe their arch-rival New Jersey Devils but to select a “gritty” and a “throwback” style defenseman in Braden Schneider.
With a late birthday (September 20, 2001) Schneider is one of the older players in the 2020 NHL Draft class, which has given him the opportunity to play three full seasons with the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings. Since 2017, Schneider has steadily improved and focused on rounding out his game.