Rangers extend qualifying offer to Braden Schneider, four others before crucial stretch

The Rangers, as expected, extended a qualifying offer to restricted free agent Braden Schneider ahead of Monday’s deadline, according to The Post’s Mollie Walker — ensuring that they maintain the defenseman’s rights during a stretch where he could be traded as part of their ongoing retool.Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mollie Walker about the inside buzz on the Rangers.

Defensemen Scott Morrow, Vincent Iorio and William Trudeau — along with forward Pavel Dorofeyev, whom the Rangers acquired Friday and signed to a seven-year deal worth around $11 million in average annual value — were also extended qualifying offers.Hugo Ollas (ECHL last season), Talyn Boyko (Liiga in Finland and AHL Hartford), Wolf Pack forward Brendan Brisson — who has also appeared in 27 NHL games for the Golden Knights and Rangers — and Massimo Rizzo, a forward acquired in the Adam Edstrom trade last week, weren’t extended qualifying offers.That means the Rangers won’t retain their rights, and the group will become unrestricted free agents Wednesday at noon.Schneider has been one of the Blueshirts — along with center Vincent Trocheck — most involved in trade rumors leading up to the draft last week and now the start of free agency, with teams able to trade for Schneider’s rights and then sign him to a long-term deal.

But president and general manager Chris Drury wants a comparable player returning to the Rangers, according to Walker.Sign up for Inside the Rangers, a weekly Sports+ exclusive.

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Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! Trudeau, a fourth-round pick in 2021 who hasn’t logged an NHL game yet, was acquired last week in the trade with the Canadiens that gave Brett Berard — a pending restricted free agent who received a qualifying offer...