There is the academic definition of rookie, which fits Rangers defenseman Brady Skjei. Then there is the practical definition, which he couldn’t be further away from.
That is an idea coach Alain Vigneault first made very clear in the way he has deployed Skjei, not just through the first 79 games of this regular season, but especially in the past two games with the absence of captain Ryan McDonagh, who has been sidelined with a minor, undisclosed injury. In those two games, Skjei has played a team-high 25:09 and 22:21, and has carried the load while trying to help his shaky veteran blue line stabilize as it prepares for the postseason.
“Even though he’s a rookie, I don’t consider him as a rookie,” Vigneault said before Sunday’s 4-3 win over the Flyers. “He plays big minutes, and he helps us on the power play. He’s going to be a real good player for us moving forward here.”
The Rangers had a (very) optional practice Monday as they prepared for Wednesday night’s prime-time matchup against the Capitals in Washington, the third-to-last game on the regular-season schedule. Having all but mathematically locked up the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, they have also made it likely the first round will start in Montreal against the Atlantic Division-leading Canadiens.
If McDonagh can practice Tuesday, he’ll likely play against the Capitals in hopes of having a few games to shake off any rust from a week away from games. But even when he does return, there will still be pressure on Skjei to eat big minutes in big situations. It’s far different from when he made his NHL debut at the end of last season, playing in seven regular-season games and all five games of their first-round playoff ouster at the hands of eventual Stanley Cup champion Penguins.
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But the new pressure of increased responsibility is something Skjei is looking forward to.
“Playoffs is the best time of year, it’s the most fun hockey,” Skjei told The Post after he participated with nine other skaters in Monday’s practice. “It’s high-paced, physical, definitely defense-first game. I just want to win. I think that’s the main thing. Want to keep moving on and we have to keep putting ourselves in position to win every night. That’s the No. 1 thing.”
It’s not lost on Skjei the veteran players around him have been through a lot and played in so many playoff games over the past five years — still without winning a Stanley Cup. Now they are relying on him to help them on another hopeful run deep into the spring.
“I think you feel like you want to play for those guys, for sure,” Skjei said. “They’ve been here for so long, and they’ve done great things, just haven’t gone all the way. Us young guys definitely want to play for them, and play for ourselves too. There is that team camaraderie feeling definitely in the locker room right now, and it will definitely ramp up in the playoffs.”
The biggest compliment from Vigneault might have come when he put Skjei’s game in the context of where the league is going.
“Brady, for me, he’s the new type of ‘D’ that’s needed in the NHL,” Vigneault said, “that can skate well, that can beat the forecheck, that can carry the puck, move the puck, and can defend. He’s got all those elements.”
It was something the 23-year-old out of Lakeville, Minn., was happy to hear.
“I think what the league is coming to is it’s very high speed, with all these young kids coming in,” Skjei said. “Being able to skate with them is definitely a positive. But the No. 1 thing is being able to defend. I’ve been working on that and I think I’ve been doing a pretty good job with that.
“So it’s nice that I can skate like that, and the coaches also allow me to get up in the play and use my skating to my advantage.”
Now the hope is that the advantage can carry the Rangers when the games matter most.