The New York Rangers suffered a massive loss when Chris Kreider was diagnosed with a blood clot. With Kreider out for an indefinite amount of time, its time to look at who can fill his spot.
The New York Rangers were shocked to hear of Chris Kreider’s diagnosis. Similar to what the Lightning’s Steven Stamkos and Andrei Vasilevskiy endured, Kreider will be out for an unknown length of time.
It is a painful loss, with Kreider being one of the Rangers’ best scorers. His game was just beginning to catch fire after a slow first couple months. His chemistry with Mika Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich is another aspect of his game that will be sorely missed with him out.
Of course, in a situation like this, there is no rush. Kreider’s health is the team’s number one concern. Right now, all they can do is find someone to fill that slot, whether it be by call-up or by trade.
So, let’s explore the options, including the one currently being explored.
The Rangers’ Options From Within
Currently, the Rangers have called up Vinni Lettieri to fill that roster spot. His debut worked out rather well, with his first NHL goal occurring in that game. However, Lettieri’s college and AHL numbers indicate a career likely spent in the bottom six. So, while Lettieri is a good short-term option, he is not a long-term solution should Kreider be out for weeks or months.
The Rangers’ best options in the AHL are Peter Holland and Filip Chytil. Holland has been an excellent addition to the Wolfpack, scoring over a point per game since joining the team. He is also a former first-round pick with plenty of NHL experience.
If the Rangers go the youthful way, waiting until Chytil is done with the World Juniors may be an interesting approach to the Kreider situation. Chytil has been an immense success with Hartford, and this would be a perfect time to see how he fares playing legitimate NHL minutes.
Outside Sources
Should the Rangers look to outside sources to fill Kreider’s role, a cheap rental is best. Perhaps a young forward caught in the AHL-NHL bubble, like Teemu Pulkkinen. Pulkkinen is a gifted shooter, who simply cannot find an NHL lineup spot due to some skating qualms. Acquiring him would not cost much at all, and putting him in a high volume shooting role could pay off.
Revisiting the Brandon Pirri experiment may not hurt either. The Rangers will never fully replace Kreider but must obtain an offensively talented forward for little in return. Pirri has proven he is a good shooter that is lacking in other areas of the game, but the offense needs a substitute for Kreider.
AHL talent like Nic Petan, Tomas Jurco or Morgan Klimchuk are also fairly easily obtainable. All three are offensively gifted players who, for one reason or another, could never quite make an NHL lineup. Their value has tanked, but their talent has not. Keeping expectations low, these players can mitigate the loss of Kreider to some extent.
Next: Wave Of Young Talent Gives Reason To Focus On Next Season
One thing is well known: the loss of Kreider is huge. The Rangers cannot let this season continue without placing an offensive player in that spot, at least until he returns. Plus, who knows, maybe a low value trade can become another Rangers reclamation project.