Rangers’ Braden Schneider playing like seasoned vet just year after debut

It has to be a typographical error. Yes, that must be it. Because it is impossible that Friday marks the first anniversary of Braden Schneider’s NHL debut that he made in San Jose. The defenseman has been in the league for five years, right?

“He’s looked like he has belonged here from the first day,” head coach Gerard Gallant said of the 21-year-old before Thursday’s Garden match against Central Division-leading Dallas. “He just keeps adding and getting better.”

This marked Schneider’s 106th game within 12 months wearing the Blueshirt that includes his 20 in the playoffs. As with Adam Fox, Ryan Lindgren and K’Andre Miller, his entrance to the NHL has been all but seamless. The Rangers may have issues incorporating young forwards into the mix, but it has been a whole different story on the back line.

The right-handed shot has been as advertised upon his selection at 19th overall in the 2020 draft after then-general manager Jeff Gorton engineered a deal to move up three spots in the order. The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder has been strong in his own end while playing a brand of physical, tough hockey that to a degree mimics Jacob Trouba.

But there also have been flashes of offense and examples of a big and accurate shot with Schneider becoming more comfortable and more of a threat when joining the play. Schneider has chipped in with five goals, three in the last 16 games.

He has also become the third option on defense in overtime, having supplanted Trouba behind Fox and Miller in three of the club’s past four OT’s.

“We don’t want Schneider to change his game,” Gallant said. “Schneider’s game is growing because of the amount of games he’s played and the more confidence he’s getting. We still want him to be real defense-first but he jumps in those holes and takes advantage of some opportunities.”

Schneider has been paired with Ben Harpur on the third tandem for the past 13 games. He had been partnered earlier with Zac Jones for 14 games and Libor Hajek for 13 before Harpur joined the lineup on Dec. 15. Schneider had also skated for three games with Miller while Trouba was temporarily dropped in the rotation battling injuries and subpar performance.

“Harpur has come in here and he’s a big-body guy like we’ve talked, Gallant said. ”They’ve been good since they’ve been together.”

The Harpur-Schneider pair has been on for four goals for and five against with a 48.75 xGF. The Jones-Schneider tandem was on for the same four goals for and five against but with an xGF of 48.75. The Hajek-Schneider duo was on for five goals for and four against with an xGF of 37.74.

Schneider understands that his primary responsibility is to defend. He embraces that role. He said he believes his defensive game has improved, largely because of his stick positioning, an art on which he works consistently with assistant coach Gord Murphy.

“Other than just getting more experience, better stick positioning is the biggest thing to me,” Schneider told The Post in a recent conversation. “A quarter-inch here or there makes such a big difference when you get your stick in the lane to defend against passes and also when you look to block a shot.”

Schneider is learning that in his sophomore season. But that echoes the sentiment expressed by Scott Stevens after Hall of Famer Larry Robinson joined the Devils as Jacques Lemaire’s assistant in 1993-94. Stevens talked about how Robinson’s instruction relating to stick position had been a revelation.

“I’m becoming aware about situations and how to play them,” said the Rangers’ most substantial No. 4 since Ron Greschner. “I’m more aware off what’s around me. I’m not as puck-focused, I’m looking so that I don’t have a man behind me.

“Murph has been working with me on when to step up and when to back off. I’m adding to my foundation. I feel good about my progress, I’m learning every day. But I also have a long way to go.”