TORONTO — The sample size used to evaluate the Brady Skjei-Adam McQuaid pairing is rather small. Indeed, the defensemen had hooked up as partners for only eight games and 102:40 of five-on-five play (as recorded by Naturalstattrick.com) prior to the Rangers’ match Saturday night against the powerful Maple Leafs.
But it seems relatively clear to the eye, if not demonstrably supported by publicly available possession metrics, that playing with a stabilizing, stay-at-home veteran such as McQuaid is more beneficial to Skjei than being paired with an unpredictable, offense-minded defenseman, such as Tony DeAngelo.
If Skjei were at his 2016-17 NHL All-Rookie team best, then a dynamic skating duo featuring him and DeAngelo might have been the charm for both of the young men and for coach David Quinn and the Rangers, as well.