And, yeah, there were bright spots during the Rangers’ season. And, yeah, there are some reasons to feel good about the future.
One of those was rookie defenseman Brady Skjei, who made his NHL debut in December with two games before returning to Hartford, came back for one in February and one in March. Then in the last week of the season, when Ryan McDonagh broke his hand, Skjei came up and stayed, playing the final three regular-season games and all five in the playoffs.
He probably won’t be going back.
The 6-3, 205-pounder has all the necessary tools to stick in the big leagues, with a similar toolbox as McDonagh, especially in the speed and size departments.