SAN JOSE, Calif. — If the Rangers are in the market for a physical right defenseman to skate on their third pair, then due diligence must be conducted within the organization before sacrificing assets in order to get one in a trade.

That is essentially why the Blueshirts are about to give an audition to 20-year-old Braden Schneider, recalled from the AHL Wolf Pack on Tuesday in an exchange of places with Nils Lundkvist.

Indeed, off of the alignment at Wednesday’s practice, it appears as if Schneider will make his NHL debut Thursday night against the Sharks. The duration of his stay is entirely up to the young man from Saskatchewan for whom the past regime traded up two spots to draft 19th overall in 2020 while centers Hendrix Lapierre and Connor Zary were on the board.

“Whether it’s short term or long term, I’m just trying to seize every opportunity I get,” said Schneider, who skated on the right side of a tandem with Patrik Nemeth. “Whether that’s in a practice or in a game, I’m just going to go out there and do what I do best.

“I want to show that I’m able to play at this level and I want to show that I belong here. So if I can keep improving my game each day, I think that’s the main goal is still to try to get 1 percent better each day and keep a positive mindset while doing it.”

Schneider’s mindset should be aided by the presence behind the bench of Hartford coach Kris Knoblauch, who is filling in for the COVD-positive Gerard Gallant. Knoblauch also had Schneider for a stretch last year before the delayed WHL season began. There is a history of mutual admiration and trust.

“Braden has been a very good player for us in Hartford,” Knoblauch said. “I think he’s been a very good defensive player. He’s an incredible skater and for his age he’s very strong. I think one of things players have trouble with coming to the National Hockey League is eliminating the play, and that’s like knocking a guy off the puck, separating him and then making the next play.

“Braden is young but I think that’s something on which Braden will be able to make that transition a lot easier than other guys whenever he gets the opportunity to do that.”

When asked whose game might be a comparable, Schneider said when the same question arose during his pre-draft interviews with teams, he answered by name-dropping Shea Weber. The Rangers would probably take that.

“Maybe I don’t have as hard a shot as he has but I think [of myself] as just being a solid, big reliable defenseman who can play both ends of the ice. The main thing is to take care of home base and your own end. I like to be tight on guys and close guys as quick and as hard as I can and in doing that I like to transition the puck up quick and make a good first pass.

“I’m not too flashy offensively, but I like to think that I’m a hard worker in my own end and get the play moving up as fast as I can.”

It is clear that Gallant believes big-bodied, physically inclined defensemen are requirements for success. That philosophy has been supported through recent playoff seasons that have featured endless scrums around the net. It will likely also be of at least some benefit to Schneider that he had Gallant as his head coach with Team Canada for last year’s World Championships.

“I got to know him real well. It was quite a tight team being in a bubble [in Latvia] so we did a lot of team-builders and got to know everyone quite well,” Schneider said of the squad that won the gold medal despite dropping its first three games. “I was always talking to Gerard and we built a pretty solid relationship.”

Lundkvist is temporarily gone but hardly forgotten. The 21-year-old Swede will get ample playing time with the Wolf Pack that should include an assignment on the first power play. The Rangers do have other internal right-side options on the third pair, but neither Zac Jones nor Libor Hajek have the physical attributes the staff is seeking. Moving Nemeth to the right side does not represent a great alternative.

Hence, the time has come for Schneider to get a look. No one would mind if it becomes a very long one.