Brady Skjei
Here’s the deal that divided both the Canes’ and the Rangers’ fan bases. Brady Skjei (pronouced SHAY) is a guy that people are either very high, or very low on. The Carolina Hurricanes’ brass are obviously believers in him, as they gave up a first-round pick for his services.
25-year old Brady Skjei, a 6’3, 210lb left-shot defender, is signed for the next 4 seasons at a $5.25 million AAV, so he figures to be a long-term solution for the Hurricanes. While he’s not seen as a dangerous offensive threat, he does have 8 goals and 23 points in 60 games this year.
Don Waddell was pretty ecstatic to get this guy:
"“Brady is a big defenseman who checks all the boxes,” said Waddell. “He’s an excellent skater, he’s competitive, he can move the puck and he can defend. He’s under contract through the 2023-24 season, so this is another acquisition that helps us immediately and in the long-term”"
Waddell, in his press conference, expanded on what the team thought of Skjei:
"“Well.. He’s a big body, he’s a good defender. He could add a bit offensively but he’s a defender. He plays the game hard, plays the right way.”"
Carolina is banking on Skjei, who has struggled a bit in New York this year, to retrieve the form that made him an effective blue-liner in years past. He’s supposedly been miscast by Lindy Ruff there this year, and in a less relied-upon role in Carolina, he could offer real value as a second-pair guy.
One Brady Skjei goal coming right up 🛎️ #LGR pic.twitter.com/p52sFyBOqH
— Rangers on MSG (@RangersMSGN) November 10, 2019
Rangers fans are torn on the deal, with some fans thinking that the team did well getting a first-rounder for Skjei; others are upset about the return for him. I’m not overly high on Skjei personally, but if the Canes front office likes him, I’m more than willing to give him a shot.
…. as long as it isn’t at the expense of Haydn Fleury in the lineup.