Rangers' homegrown players Alexis Lafreniere, Braden Schneider try to block out trade noise

GREENBURGH – Alexis Lafreniere and Braden Schneider are aware.

Of Chris Drury’s letter announcing his desire to reconstruct the Rangers. Of the constant noise that has surrounded their team for six weeks. Of the upcoming NHL trade deadline. Of the fact that both have had their names publicly mentioned in trade rumors.

And their reaction to the maelstrom that they and their teammates find themselves in?

It is to compartmentalize. To focus on the immediate.

“I haven’t looked too far into it,” Schneider said after practice Wednesday at the MSG Training Center. “I’ve tried to stay away from it and just think about the things I can control, and that’s playing the game, trying to get wins for our team, and that’s kind of the only thing I can do.”

The Rangers are among the most fascinating teams entering Friday afternoon’s trade deadline. Star forward Artemi Panarin (to the L.A. Kings) and defenseman Carson Soucy (to the Islanders) already have been traded, and it is believed that Vincent Trocheck may be next. There is speculation that teams have interest in veteran center Sam Carrick and goaltender Jonathan Quick, and 2021 first-round pick Brennan Othmann could also be moved.

Then there are Lafreniere and Schneider.

The Rangers are the only NHL organization the two 24-year-olds have ever known, as both were selected by the Blueshirts in the first round of the 2020 draft. Lafreniere was the first pick in the draft and Schneider was the 19th overall selection.

Lafreniere has been more contributor than cornerstone in his six seasons with the Rangers, recording 227 points (105 goals and 122 assists) in 440 career NHL games.

In the first year of a seven-year, $52.1 million contract ($7.45 million annual average value), he has tallied 34 points (13 goals and 21 assists) in 60 games this season. He has a minus-14 rating.

“We just got to focus on playing. That’s all we can do as a group. Losing guys, that’s the business,” Lafreniere said. “But when you’re in the lineup you (have) to play.”

Which is where Schneider comes in.

A pending restricted free agent this summer, the righthanded defenseman had his development somewhat stymied with the presence of Adam Fox and Jacob Trouba on the roster his first three seasons-plus. Fox was ensconced on the first defense pair with Ryan Lindgren while Trouba and K’Andre Miller comprised the second pairing until Trouba was traded to Anaheim in December 2024.

As a result, Schneider was often relegated to third pair minutes. In his first three seasons, he averaged around 15-and-a-half minutes per game. Last season his ice time increased to slightly under 18 minutes per contest. In 60 games this season, he is averaging a career-high 20 minutes and 20 seconds of ice time per game.

“He's willing to embrace anything we ask of him,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “I think that his core competency is on the defensive side (of the puck). His mobility, defends the rush well, his ability in his stick. And he's got some physicality to his game. He can be abrasive . . . We try to help him develop the offensive side of his game, but what I’ve really admired about him is anything we ask of him he’s willing to do.”

No timeline for Miller's return

Sullivan said he does not have a timeline as to when J.T. Miller will return to the lineup. The team placed Miller on injured reserve Tuesday with an upper-body injury. When Sullivan was asked if the injury occurred when Miller was struck by Will Borgen’s slap shot in the third period of Monday night’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Blue Jackets, he said, “It was around that time.”