At this time last season, the New York Rangers were the first team to clinch their spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and they would go on to win the Presidents’ Trophy and make it to Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final. Now, even making the playoffs this season looks like a long shot with the team having just 12 games remaining, and they are currently on the outside looking in with other teams ahead of them with games in hand. Nothing has gone right for the Rangers this season, and one of the reasons why they have struggled so much is the lack of offense coming from their top players.
Rangers left wing Chris Kreider, Adam Fox, and Alexis Lafreniere celebrate after Kreider’s first period goal during game three of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs between the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
One player in particular who is having a disaster of a season is Chris Kreider. He went from having 39 goals and 75 points last season to just 19 goals and four assists (zero primary assists) this season. His fall off from what he has been the past three seasons has been tough to watch, and it seems as if this season will likely be his last as a Ranger. He is one of the few top players on the team without full trade protection, and the Rangers are going to need to clear out salary cap space this summer. Added to the fact that his name came up in trade rumors this season, you can see the writing on the wall. A player that once looked like a Ranger for life now seems to be nearing the end of his time in New York.
A Season Filled With Injuries and Trade Rumors
This season has been the worst of Kreider’s career since the 2020-21 COVID-shortened season where he had just 20 goals and 10 assists for 30 points in 50 games played. After that season, he exploded for 52 goals the following year and kept it up with two more seasons of 35 or more goals. He was playing the best hockey of his career after turning 30 years old, and it was incredible to see as it seemed that he had peaked at being a 25-goal, 50-point player like he was the majority of his career. Now, he isn’t having the same impact on the ice this season, and there have been a few reasons why. The main issue has been a back injury that kept him out for a few games in November, and then a more recent injury (not back-related) that kept him out of the lineup in early March.
It has become clear that these injuries have had a major impact on his play this season and while he is trying to play through them as most hockey players try to do, he just isn’t a factor on the ice and in most of these games, he is invisible. He’s not even producing on the power play this season, which has been a major factor in why the team has fallen from a top-five to a bottom-10 unit in the league. Along with these injuries, Kreider was in trade rumors throughout this season leading up to the trade deadline. While he wasn’t moved, it has become clear that he is a player that general manager Chris Drury doesn’t see as a piece of the team going forward and that has likely had an impact on the mental side of the game. So, with both the physical and mental parts of his game being impacted, you can see why this season has gone so poorly for Kreider.
How Will This Impact His Rangers’ Legacy?
Last season, I wrote a piece on how Kreider was on his way to becoming an all-time Rangers great and that he would likely get his number retired when his career was over. Right now, he is very close to or at the top of many franchise record lists for both the regular season and playoffs. As of this writing, he is third all-time in goals scored with 323 and is 13 goals away from second place. He is also top ten in points with 575, tied for first with 116 power-play goals, and fourth with 13 shorthanded goals. When it comes to the playoffs, Kreider has made an even bigger impact. He leads the entire Rangers franchise with 48 goals and when it comes it elimination games, he holds an even bigger record. He is tied with Mark Messier for an NHL record with 16 goals in elimination games. Furthermore, he has been one of, if not the greatest playoff performer in Rangers history, and he truly was on his way to getting his number in the rafters at Madison Square Garden.
Now, it seems as if that won’t be a sure thing if this truly is his last season with the team. The argument can be made that he is already a top player in franchise history and that no matter what happens, he should have his number retired. But, if he does go out looking as poorly as he is right now, will fans remember him for the player he was or the player he turned out to be in his final days with the team? A player on a team that spiraled so quickly in a season with Stanley Cup aspirations, and he was part of the problem and not the solution. It will be interesting to see how this season impacts how people view Kreider and his legacy with the Rangers.
Will a Kreider Trade Have a Domino Effect on Other Players?
Kreider has been with the organization since they drafted him back in the first round of the 2009 NHL Draft. He is the longest-tenured player on the team with 13 seasons as a Ranger under his belt. If he is moved in a trade this offseason, it could have a ripple effect that impacts what happens to other players on the team. We saw how this team reacted to the Barclay Goodrow and Jacob Trouba situations this season and how it impacted them negatively early on. If Kreider, one of the leaders on the team, gets moved, does it make other players question if they want to be here long-term?
The one player who you should keep your eyes on if a Kreider trade happens is Mika Zibanejad. It is no secret that these guys are the best of friends, and they have formed a great connection on and off the ice over the years. With Zibanejad struggling over the past two seasons, could moving one of his closest friends make him consider waiving his no-trade clause? He has that clause in his contract until the 2029-30 season, so if the Rangers wanted to move him, they would have to ask Zibanejad if he wants to go. If the Rangers were to move on from both of these players, they would clear up over $15 million in cap space and could use that money to go out and get other impact players that could help the team going forward, as it looks like this core can’t get the job done.
It is a shame to see how badly this season has gone for the team and Kreider himself. A season that started with so much hope has turned into one filled with misery and defeat. If the Rangers can’t turn it around in the next 12 games and find a way to squeak into a playoff spot, major changes are going to be made this offseason. The first player that is likely to go is Kreider and despite all of the success he has had with the team over the years, it seems now is the time to move him before he truly starts to decline even more than he already has.
