I recognize the importance of having size-and-strength defensemen for the playoff grind, so I get why it was meaningful for the Rangers to acquire Niko Mikkola as part of the Vladimir Tarasenko deal with the Blues.

You’ve got to be able to keep guys away from the net. You can’t have Corey Perry and Pat Maroon banging into Igor Shesterkin every shift. Mikkola not only seems inclined to engage in such byplay, but the 6-foot-5 native of Finland with the long reach appears to enjoy it.

Mikkola is the latest of a veteran type the Blueshirts have imported over the past few years to play that spot on the left side of the third pair. The 26-year-old pending unrestricted free agent (read: rental) follows a group that includes Jack Johnson, Jarred Tinordi, Patrik Nemeth, Justin Braun and current seventh defenseman Ben Harpur.

But the ideal partner over the long run for the physically inclined Braden Schneider would be a low-cost, mobile puck-mover who would allow the team to mirror the Ryan Lindgren-Adam Fox and K’Andre Miller-Jacob Trouba tandems.