The latest Chris Kreider rumor: Boston bound?
By Steve Paulus
New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider continues to be the hottest commodity deemed available on the trade deadline marketplace. Word is that Boston is eager to acquire the left wing.
As much as New York Rangers fans and David Quinn don’t want to admit or accept it, the Rangers will be sellers at the trade deadline in a month. There is virtually no chance that the team will hold on to Chris Kreider when is the biggest chip in the trade market. You can be sure that Jeff Gorton will do his best to drive up the price by holding on to him for the best deal possible.
Now, a report out of Boston is that the Bruins have made Kreider their number one target. Joe Haggerty of NBC Sports Boston is reporting that the B’s are hot for Kreider. This is certainly not a new rumor and the idea of Kreider playing on the left wing with David Krejci has to have the Bruins salivating.
Kreider fits all of the usual Boston check marks. He is fast, physical and experienced and he is a local product who went to Boston College. It makes perfect sense for the Bruins to want him, even though they are in excellent shape on the left wing.
Right now, the Bruins have Brad Marchand, Jake DeBrusk, Danton Heinen and Anders Bjork all on the roster as natural left wingers with center Joakim Nordstrom filling in there as well. That said, Heinen and Bjork have both played the right wing and don’t forget that Kreider spent some time on the right wing this season as well.
Face it, a second line of Krejci, DeBrusk and Kreider following the top line of Patrice Bergeron, Marchand and David Pastrnak could be pretty daunting in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and would arguably give the Bruins the top two lines in the NHL.
One big issue for the Bruins is cap space (what else is new?). With Kevan Miller about to come off long-term injured reserve, the B’s will have no cap space at all, even if the Rangers pick up the maximum in retained salary (capped at 50%).
The bottom line for the Bruins is they came within a goal of winning the Stanley Cup and their window will be closing soon. Next season Tukka Rask, Jaroslav Halak, Bergeron, Marchand and Krejci will all be 32 or older and Zdeno Chara will be 43. This spring could be their last hurrah and if Kreider is the final piece of the puzzle, even as a rental, he would be worth it.