Rangers' Skjei scratched vs. Panthers

New York Rangers defenseman Brady Skjei won't be in the lineup for Saturday night's contest against the Florida Panthers.

It's the first time Skjei has been made a healthy scratch since December 2016. Head coach David Quinn believes the 24-year-old could benefit from watching the game from the press box.

"He looks indecisive, really in all areas," Quinn told NHL.com's Jon Lane. "I think he's fighting it a little bit mentally. I've said this before, it's good for a guy to take a deep breath and watch and collect himself. He understands where we're at. When he's back in we fully expect him to be the player we know he's capable of being."

In 19 appearances this season, Skjei has collected one goal and six assists, trailing only Neal Pionk in scoring among Rangers defensemen. Skjei also ranks second in average ice time, coming in at 21:52 per game.

Skjei picked up 25 points across 82 games in 2017-18.