It’s hard to overstate the impact Chris Kreider has had on the New York Rangers. Kreider is the Rangers’ all-time playoff goal-scoring leader, for instance. He has spent his entire 13-year career on Broadway with the Blueshirts to this point. However, it appears as if a rift has formed between him and the organization. And this rift has kicked trade rumors around Kreider into full gear.
Kreider, alongside many Rangers skaters, has struggled in 2024-25. He has 11 goals in 30 games, which isn’t too bad. But he has just one assist to go along with those 11 goals. Furthermore, he is currently on pace for 28 goals in 78 games. This is an 11-goal drop from the 39 goals he scored a year ago. Moreover, it would snap a streak of three seasons with at least 30 goals.
The Rangers recently made their longtime star a healthy scratch. When he is on the ice, he has often seen time on the fourth line. New York entered the NHL’s holiday break having lost 12 of their last 16 games. As a result, the team’s playoff hopes are starting to fade away.
Trade activity in the NHL has been unusually hectic in the first half of the season. As the calendar flips to 2025 and the roster freeze lifts soon, the action could heat up in a big way soon. With this in mind, here are the two best early landing spots for Chris Kreider in 2024-25.
Chris Kreider could be missing piece for Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are one of the better teams in the NHL in 2024-25. Los Angeles has made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of the last three seasons. And in each of the last three seasons, the Kings have been eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers. This season is the best they have looked since they returned to playoff contention.
The Kings are an elite defensive team that can prevent goals with the best units in the NHL. However, they could use another goal scorer. They aren’t a bad offensive team by any means. But adding another top-six goal scorer alongside Anze Kopitar could help them in the long run.
Adding Chris Kreider to the mix is an option for Los Angeles. The Kings are no strangers to making bold trades, after all. The Kings traded for Pierre-Luc Dubois before the 2023-24 campaign. That move certainly did not work out. But Kreider has a better track record than Dubois. He could find his game again in LA while also improving on his documented postseason success.
Blues could help Chris Kreider rebound
The St. Louis Blues are a middle-of-the-pack team in 2024-25. St. Louis hoped to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs before the season began. However, they are on the outside looking in on the Wild Card race in the Western Conference.
The Blues did well adding Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg on offer sheets during the offseason. But this is a team that could certainly stand to make more moves. St. Louis has already made one big splash, trading for Cam Fowler in a deal with the Anaheim Ducks.
Chris Kreider could be another big move for the Blues. St. Louis has some incredible playmakers in Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas. Putting Kreider alongside them could help him score more consistently. In turn, it could allow him to find his playmaking ability once again.
The Blues will certainly need to find a way to make this work financially. But Kreider can be an impact player, especially in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. If St. Louis is serious about making a push for the postseason, making a trade for the Rangers veteran is something they need to explore.
