In the Daily News, Rangers first round pick Brady Skjei says that the key to his game is “keeping it simple” and that he struggles when he tries to put too much on his plate.

On the kind of player that Skjei is, Craig Button told Michael Russo in the Star Tribune, “While he doesn’t put up a lot of points, he’s a guy that’ll help your offense. Because his skating is so good, he’ll hold the offensive blue line and not back out. And he’ll get the puck out of his own zone and get it forward.”

Skjei told the Rangers website, “I think I have some definite offensive upside. I feel like I am a good skater, can get up the ice, and make some good plays.”

Skjei told the Star Tribune that going to play for the US National Team made him into a two-way player, “I feel I’ve become an all-around defenseman. In high school hockey, I liked to skate it up a ton and play a lot of offense. I feel they’ve taught me to play both ends of the rink in Ann Arbor. And I’ve put on 25 pounds.”

At Hockey’s Future, Leslie Treff writes that Skjei displayed his “excellent vision” during his two days at development camp.

Over the last two seasons Brady Skjei has had the chance to represent the United States in international competition in the Under 17 tournament in 2010-11 and the under 18 team in 2011-12.

Skjei has a chance to represent the United States this winter in the Under 20 tournament and has been participating in USA Hockey’s evaluation camp for the past few days.

Rangers assistant GM Jeff Gorton was in Lake Placid watching the camp and told Blueshirts United “In Brady’s case this is his first run at it, obviously just coming out of the draft. For him to make that team would be quite a story. He’s played really well, and his skating has been really good.”

Chris Peters writes at the United States of Hockey that Skjei “can skate, play the body and has shown good defensive smarts.”

On the his play at the evaluation camp, Skjei told Blueshirts United “The coaches knew my game going in because of my previous time in the (United States) program, so that provided me a certain comfort level. I just tried to be a solid two-way player for the team, probably more of a shut-down guy. I wanted to showcase my skating, which is probably the best part of my game and is a big part of international play, along with my shut-down abilities. I am happy with how it all went.”

At the United States of Hockey, Chris Peters writes that Brady Skjei was Team USA’s best defenseman yesterday in their skeleton crew loss to Finland.

Peters notes “Skjei was his normal, slick-skating self, but showed even better puck-moving skills than he’s displayed previously in camp.”

He adds that Skjei deserves a spot to be a fifth or sixth defenseman on the World Junior team in December.

CLICK HERE for a section dedicated to Skjei.

In Lake Placid yesterday USA Hockey held the first of two two games to evaluate prospects for the World Junior Championships.

2012 first round pick Brady Skjei, along with his defense partner were players that impressed Julie Robenhymer.

She writes of the two “hey had great puck movement, played with confidence and made smart decisions. They have an advantage because they played together last year and already have chemistry, but if it ain’t broke….”

His defense partner was Matt Grzelcyk who was a third round pick of the Bruins.

Good. Transitions puck well, made few nice passes, decent in own end. RT @8kpower: @coreypronman Skjei playing and if so how has he looked?—
Corey Pronman (@coreypronman) August 04, 2012

JT Miller had an assist in the game.

At the United States of Hockey, Chris Peters looks at the defensemen who were invited to the Team USA World Juniors camp and says of Rangers first round pick Brady Skjei “I think they’ll have a tough time keeping Skjei off the final roster no matter what. He has good size, plays smart and will be a weapon on international ice potentially.”

Peters adds that Skjei is the best skating defenseman in the USA camp and that he could be a key player in transition and to push an “up-tempo attack.”

Skjei has represented Team USA as a member of the Under 17 team and the Under 18 team over the past two years.

He will play for the University of Minnesota this coming season.

CLICK HERE for a section on Skjei.

Brady Skjei told MN Hockey Prospects that when he was playing high school hockey in Minnesota he was an offensive player who didn’t play much defense.

Skjei then went to play for the US National Team in Ann Arbor, Michigan and says that he became a much more complete defenseman.

On what he expects from going to college, Skjei told the NY Post, “I think going to Minnesota with their coaching staff will help my game a ton so I keep progressing over the next couple of years.”

On Skjei, Jeff Gorton said to the Rangers website “He is going to grow, play a lot and I see some similarities to Kreider. He are going to compete for championships and Michigan is a good place to develop.”

When asked to describe his game, Skjei told the Rangers website, “I would say I am a smooth skating two-way defenseman that can play on the PP but also play solid shutdown defense.”

Gorton added “he is a guy we had targeted for a while. He is a good shut down defenseman that can skate, comes from a good family and it fits in with what we have been doing the last five years.”

When asked to describe his game, Skjei told the Rangers website, “I would say I am a smooth skating two-way defenseman that can play on the PP but also play solid shutdown defense.”

Grant Sonier writes at ESPN Insider that Skjei is one year away from being able to play in the NHL. He says that the biggest obstacle to Skjei making the Rangers when he is ready is the amount of players the Rangers already have on the roster.

Following the first round of the draft, Rangers assistant GM Jeff Gorton said to the Rangers website that first round pick Brady Skjei was similar to a player the Rangers currently have on their roster.

“His game is similar to McDonagh. He is a shutdown guy, elite skater, a big body. He is very willing to learn and has a lot of qualities that we like. I think it’s an untapped guy that is only going to get better and looking down the road he is a really good fit for us.”

MN Hockey Prospects, which follows Minnesota born prospects heading into the NHL Draft said of Skjei, “Some may be alarmed by his low scoring totals, not to worry, this will come with time as Skjei’s a top talent that projects to be a Ryan McDonagh type player.”

Skjei said that he started to follow the Rangers because they had Minnesota boys Ryan McDonagh and Derek Stepan on the team.

Gordie Clark told the NY Post, “He’s in the same vein as what’s been successful for us on defense. He’s an elite skater, an elite athlete, a good, solid two-way guy.

More on Skjei, HERE.

In The Hockey News draft preview, a scout said of Rangers first round pick Brady Skjei that watching him skate is like “poetry.”

According to Michael Russo in the Star Tribune, skating is a family trait.

One of Skjei’s uncles is Barry Karn, one of the top power-skating instructors in the country. Karn has worked for five NHL teams, including the past six years for Calgary, and is a consultant for the Wild, having worked primarily with its prospects.

“Ever since Brady was a little kid and we were just pushing him around on a chair just trying to make sure he was having fun at the rink, skating has been his strong suit. Obviously, it’s just progressed from there. He’s worked really hard at his skating.”

On Skjei, Gordie Clark said to the Rangers website, “He is the same kind of athlete as McDonagh and Kreider. There is nothing fancy about him but he does have one of the hardest shots out of any player in this group but is known for his PK and 5 on 5 play.”