New York Rangers: Kreider tug-of-war, other takeaways from triumph over Leafs
1. Kreider making life difficult
We are approaching Judgement Day for the New York Rangers who face a significant few weeks as they work out how much longer this rebuild needs to go on for.
At the heart of what will take place over the next few weeks will of course be Chris Kreider, who is arguably the biggest trade chip on the market.
Set to become a UFA in the summer, the Rangers either need to thrash out a new deal with their asset or pull the trigger on a trade.
However, their decision-making process isn’t being made any easier by the fact that Kreider is currently playing his best stretch of hockey.
After recording a two-point night (one goal, one assist) on Wednesday, Kreider now has 12 points (seven goals, five assists) in his last 12 outings.
He has really stepped his game up for the Blueshirts and not only is he driving his trade value up right now, the wing is also making it harder for the front office to part ways with what is an incredibly talented asset.
And we saw what Kreider at the peak of his powers looks like against the Toronto Maple Leafs, combining his lethal mix of speed and brute force to crash to the front of the net and beat Michael Hutchinson on his backhand.
That goal, by the way, was Kreider’s 152nd career goal as a New York Ranger, tying Frank Boucher for 25th place on the franchise’s all-time goals list.
Kreider also tallied a primary assist just six seconds before, winning the faceoff that allowed Mika Zibanejad to beat Hutchinson straight off the draw.
And that line featuring Zibanejad, Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich registered seven points (three goals, four assists) and 17 shots on goal against the Maple Leafs, which might give General Manager Jeff Gorton further food for thought as he finalizes his Trade Deadline plan for this roster.
It was the latest in a long line of impressive games for Chris Kreider, who is doing his bit both on and off the ice and his sudden spell of dominance will make a near impossible decision even tougher for the front office.