The New York Rangers haven't been afraid to make big trades this season, and Chris Kreider is one of their players who could be the next one shipped out.
Big things are brewing with the Rangers. Not too far down the road, the team is getting a complete makeover, bidding adieu to the old core that let them down when it mattered.
There is not one reason they failed, but Chris Drury is hard at work rebuilding the roster, but whether for better or worse, only time will tell.
Drury has already been active, trading Jacob Trouba, Kaapo Kakko, and Filip Chytil despite their remaining team control or term. Pending UFA Ryan Lindgren, not anticipated to be re-signed, was traded as well.
Jimmy Vesey and Reilly Smith were traded in the meantime, with Smith's return bringing in Carson Soucy, although neither were considered core pieces.
Kreider used the past tense when describing his time in New York
Chris Kreider is at the center of the chaos and seems to be going out. In a recent sit-down with Mollie Walker, he described having 'enjoyed' his time in New York, using the past tense.
As the Rangers look for a middle-six center and top-pair defensemen, Kreider may be able to bring back one or both of them in a trade. Even injury-bugged, he's on track for 29 goals and is still a premium net-front presence.
Assist totals are down, but the health of the team doesn't make it much of a secret. A Kreider trade or buyout seems inevitable, given his manageable contract.
The Rangers' offseason goal needs to be to extract maximum value on Kreider, possibly even Mika Zibanejad, and other trade pieces. Multiple trades will probably be necessary, such as dealing picks or prospects for roster pieces.
With the last year left on Artemi Panarin's deal, focus should be placed on positioning the team for a strong 2025-26 season.
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