Chris Kreider is one of the most important pieces in the New York Rangers’ puzzle. However, he still has many questions surrounding his play. Has he hit his ceiling?
Though only 26, Chris Kreider is a grizzled veteran. He is one of the few players left from the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals roster and has been a New York Ranger for five seasons. His tenacity and hard-nosed net front presence makes him a fierce competitor.
However, we came very close to losing him this season. After a poor start, it was announced that Kreider was diagnosed with a blood clot and would be requiring surgery. He was out of the line up for 24 games.
Kreider returned to the lineup a man possessed. He looked like the gritty, scoring forward we have come to know and love. He brought line mate Mika Zibanejad back to life and overall looked refreshed and healthy. However, the question still stands: has Chris Kreider hit his ceiling?
In my opinion, no, he hasn’t. Yes he has been in the league for five seasons, and yes he is closer to 30 than he is 20, but Kreider is long overdue for a breakout year. Most believed that the 2017-2018 season would be when he finally hit 30 goals. His injury robbed him of the chance to surpass this milestone.
Kreider’s point totals have mostly trended upwards since his first full NHL season, as have his goal totals. He came extremely close to eclipsing the 30 goal mark last year and fell just two goals short. He has broken the 20 goal and 40 point mark three times, all before this season where he finished with only 16 goals and 37 points in 58 games.
While I do not think Kreider has reached his ceiling, I also think that this season will be his last one to determine who he will be going forward. He will be 27 going into next season, if he doesn’t have his elusive breakout year, it’s probably not going to happen. Even though he struggles consistency wise, Kreider is no longer a developing rookie. He is entering his prime and is probably not going to change much going forward.
Kreider desperately needs to become more consistent in his all around play. He can be downright lazy at times, making him frustrating to watch. If he is able to fix the consistency issues, Kreider will have no problem becoming a leading scorer on this Rangers roster.
Luckily, I believe the majority of Kreider’s problems will be fixed this upcoming season. With Alain Vigneault’s firing, Kreider will be able to play to his strengths with the line mates he is best suited with: Zibanejad and Pavel Buchnevich. Zibanejad will continue to blossom as a center and will hopefully lead Kreider and Buchnevich in the right direction.
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Chris Kreider is going to be a vital part of this Rangers team going forward. Hopefully he will be able to blossom next year as player and leader on and off the ice. Who knows, he may be the next captain of the New York Rangers.