Media Bytes: Sheary the Soldier, Miller, Another Reset, Schneider's Future
Sheary scrutiny, Miller upheaval, a looming “reset,” and fresh questions about Braden Schneider—this week’s NHL media circuit had plenty to say about the Rangers.
Welcome back to Media Bytes, a weekly column from Blueshirt Banter. Every Sunday, we’ll help you start the week right with a quick catch-up on the latest stories and developments around the New York Rangers and the broader NHL media landscape.
Saving Private Sheary
1. On Tuesday’s edition of Tri-State Hockey, Jonny Lazarus, Mike Rupp, and Arthur Staple dug into a fan call-in questioning the value of Conor Sheary. Lazarus jumped in first, cutting right to the heart of the discourse: "With Conor Sheary, the obsession with fans right now is who he's blocking." He specifically pointed to Brennan Othmann, Brett Berard, and Gabe Perreault—three prospects many fans are desperate to see in NHL sweaters instead of Hartford jerseys.
"I think that's why Sheary is under a microscope," Lazarus said. "Fans are obsessed with prospects because [they] haven't seen a good one pan out in so long, [so] they want the opportunity to see one of those three guys flourish."
Lazarus went on to categorize Berard and Sheary as similar archetypes—high-motor depth guys who bring speed, won’t drive offense, but won’t sink you defensively either. But he also flagged an important caveat: Berard still needs defensive reps, and that’s the difference. That’s why Sheary keeps earning trust from a coaching staff that clearly values what he brings without the puck. "I think Sheary was great in the last two games," Lazarus added. "He was probably the most noticeable forward outside of Lafrenière against Vegas. He had a couple great chances. His speed was evident. He kills penalties. [He] does a lot of the little things well. He just doesn't produce points and that's why people think he's useless."
Rupp followed by widening the lens, explaining that when a coach takes over, he often brings his own assistants, trainers, and support staff because "you want what you know and what you're comfortable with." Players are no different. Sheary, in Rupp’s view, was seen as a dependable veteran for a brand-new Mike Sullivan—a placeholder who, ideally, gets phased out as younger players prove they can be relied upon.
Staple agreed. "He’s a pro [and] coaches like pros," he said. For him, the Sheary-versus-prospects debate is less about Sheary himself and more about what Othmann, Berard, and others haven’t done yet. "Spoken or unspoken, you haven't done enough to take the spot from a guy who came into camp and knows how to earn a paycheck," Staple said. "This is feeding-your-family time for a guy like Sheary, who's got kids, versus a 19-, 20-, 21-year-old first-round pick who thinks he's going to waltz in here and take this spot from this plug. The plug wants it more than you. That was the issue at the beginning of the season."
In wrapping the segment, Staple leveled the broader and most important point. "[If] you’re looking at Sheary and saying this guy is taking up space in the lineup and he's not scoring," he said, "it's because your top guys aren't doing enough to make [Sheary] be the role player he's supposed to be."
