Zuc’s emotional return, other takeaways from Wild win

2. The Kreider conundrum

Is there a more frustrating player in the recent history of this franchise than Chris Kreider?

There probably is but there is no getting away from the fact that Kreider could and should mean a whole lot more to this franchise than he currently does.

With his raw speed and pure strength, Kreider has all the intangibles to easily morph into a consistent 50-60 point scorer in the NHL.

But, at age 28, he’s reached the 50-point plateau on just two occasions in seven years in the league, and you can’t help but wonder the player Kreider could be if he put it all together.

Because, at the end of the day, the only flaw holding the power forward back is his alarming lack of consistency, which doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.

And last night was a prime example of just how infuriating Chris Kreider can be.

He played an essential role in the Rangers’ first goal, planting himself in front of Alex Stalock to screen the Minnesota goalie which allowed Brady Skjei to get a quick wrister through.

And then there was Kreider’s goal in the third period, rooted in-front of the net once again and in the perfect position to be able to hammer home the rebound after Ryan Strome had deflected a pass on net.

It was a typical peak Chris Kreider performance but he just doesn’t bring that to the table on a consistent basis.

If he did then I have no doubts that the Rangers would have no problem paying him $7 million a year because of the production they would get in return.

And one final point on this; I watch what Pat Maroon is doing for the Tampa Bay Lightning in terms of planting his imposing figure in-front of the net and wreaking havoc on a night-to-night basis.

He isn’t anywhere near the player Kreider is, no disrespect intended of course, but that’s what makes this even more frustrating because we all know what Chris Kreider is capable of if he just used his strengths on a consistent basis.

Anyway, let’s move on…