Rangers ‘open’ to trading franchise legend amidst disappointing season

The New York Rangers might be willing to trade away franchise legend Chris Kreider if the return for him meets their desireDo you think the Giants should clean house this offseason?

Rangers put NHL suitors on notice about LW Chris Kreider

According to Arthur Staple and Peter Baugh of The Athletic, the Rangers are actively shopping Kreider to the entire league:

“League sources confirmed Monday a report from Elliotte Friedman that Rangers general manager Chris Drury has sent word to the NHL’s other 31 GMs that the Rangers are open to a trade,” reported. Their report added that Kreider was mentioned “specifically by name” in these trade discussions.

Kreider has not been his usual self this season

Kreider will turn 34 years old at the end of the 2024-25 NHL season on April 30. The left winger has spent his entire 13-year career with the Rangers. He’s been healthy and consistent throughout, but has seen his production taper off this season. In 27 games played on the campaign, Kreider has only 10 goals and 11 points to his name with a -4 rating.

The Massachusetts native scored the second-most goals and points of his career in 2023-24 with 39 goals and 75 points. Kreider’s 136 goals over the course of the last four seasons to date rank No. 9 in the entire NHL, per The Athletic’s report. Considering how well he played last season, Kreider’s regression this season feels significant.

Rangers’ trade stance shows their desire to end playoff failures

His ability to put the puck in the back of the net and set up his teammates helped the Rangers win the President’s trophy last season and contend in the playoffs in three of the last four campaigns. That being said, New York is adamant about wanting to shake up their roster and bolster their current 15-14-1 record.

After falling short of winning the Stanley Cup in 2023-24 despite being looked at as favorites, this season has been even more of a disappointment for the Blueshirts. The Rangers’ willingness to trade Kreider shows that they’ll be aggressive in their attempts to rebuild the roster ahead of the March 8 trade deadline.