A lot has changed for Brady Skjei in just one year.
But when coach David Quinn told the 25-year-old defenseman that he wouldn’t be dressing for the Rangers’ Thursday matchup against the Hurricanes, Skjei eerily found himself in the same position he was in around this time a year ago. However, though his struggles with consistency have carried over from last season, it’s worth noting that Skjei’s role with the Rangers couldn’t be more different.
Last year, Skjei — selected by the Rangers with the 28th-overall pick in the 2012 draft — was one of the youngest defensemen with the likes of Adam McQuaid, Marc Staal and Kevin Shattenkirk anchoring the Rangers’ back end. Though he had two full seasons under his belt, as well as seven games in 2015-16, Skjei was labeled as the inexperienced one.
The offseason saw the Rangers abide by their plan to bring in heaps of young talent to develop. By doing so, they had to sacrifice a handful of veterans, which has cast Skjei into an entirely different light. And he says there’s been a lot of “ups and downs” as he continues to navigate this shift in his career.
“It’s not fun, definitely not,” Skjei told The Post about being a healthy scratch Thursday. “It definitely motivates you to get back into the lineup. I think I need to play better for sure and I think the motivation factor is definitely there [after] sitting out. Hopefully I’ll be back really soon.”
Quinn already assured that Skjei, who was initially benched after a lackluster individual performance in the 5-1 win over Detroit on Wednesday, would be back in the lineup for Sunday’s matchup against the Panthers. Quinn said that he knows the Minnesota native is “eager” to get back, but the second-year head coach recalled how well Skjei bounced back after a stretch of scratches last season and is confident that it will happen again.
Skjei was a healthy scratch four times last year, with back-to-back games in street clothes at the end of last November. But he followed it up with a strong second half of the season, netting five goals and six assists after the All-Star game.
“Just more confidence and more thoroughness,” Quinn said of what he’s looking to see out of Skjei in his return. “I’ve said this about him a lot, he loses his confidence because he cares so much. I know it might sound a little crazy but he does. When he’s just dialed in and playing a little angry and not worrying about what other people think, he’s a very good player.”
Through the first 13 games of the season, Skjei — who the Rangers owe $5.25 million for the next five years, including this season — has accumulated just five points (one goal, four assists). He’s been a repeat offender in the penalty box with 14 penalty minutes and is averaging 19:53 of ice time.
Following a near 40-point season (39) in 2016-17, the expectations for Skjei soared exponentially. Since then, the lefty defenseman has struggled to maintain that kind of production, making his ineffectiveness on the ice at times that much more glaring.
His inconsistent play may be at the forefront of his weaknesses, but Skjei told The Post that he thinks he needs to get back to utilizing his strong skating abilities, which he considers to be his best asset.
Skjei said he sees a noticeable difference in his game when he’s playing confidently and without fear of making mistakes.
“I’ve got to find a way to get back to that,” he said.
“I think I’m a player that bounces back,” Skjei said. “I think I’ve always been coachable, it’s kind of been a strength of mine. It happened last year as well, so I think I bounced back pretty well and it should be the same [this time around].”