At the 2020 NHL trade deadline the New York Rangers re-signed left winger Chris Kreider to a new six-year deal that carries an annual cap hit of $6.5 million. But after winning the draft lottery and the number one pick in this year’s NHL Draft, it could be a deal they already regret.
Chris Kreider was surely the number one prize available at the NHL trade deadline at the end of February. New York Rangers fans were surely divided on what the team should do with the speedy left winger.
Some thought the team should trade him and get yet another first round pick and a few prospects to keep the flow of young talent coming in. Others thought he was a much needed piece to the rebuild that had suddenly accelerated during the 2019/20 season. Kreider was, after all, one of the few veterans left on the team who had valuable playoff experience. He also possessed the type of game that was molded perfectly to the NHL playoffs.
His leadership was also a big factor for many fans who thought he should be re-signed. Kreider had become the de-facto captain. He took the lead with the media, he was straight-forward and direct with his assessment of the team and what it would take to make the next step.
But that leadership and that game made it almost a certainty that some team in the playoff hunt, especially one that thought it was one piece away, would come knocking on the Jeff Gorton’s door and give him all he wanted for the 29 year old winger.
But the NHL trade deadline always brings with it a few surprises, so when the Rangers decided it was in their best interest to keep the 6’3″ power forward in house, just as many Rangers fans rejoiced as slapped their foreheads.
With Kreider safely locked-up, the Rangers could now make a strong push to make the playoffs in what would be an extraordinary turnaround from rebuild to contender. But injury, Covid-19….etc….etc…etc….we all know how the story ends.
But the story didn’t really end, it got way more interesting.
The draft lottery at the end of June added the twist. Then the second lottery round on August 10, set Rangers Nation on fire.
The number one pick! The chance to take consensus number one player Alexis Lafrenière!
The 6’1″, 190 pound left-winger………uhhh, wait a minute……..left winger?
That’s right, he’s a left winger. Just like the guy the Rangers just signed to a six year, $6.5 million deal and oh by the way, there is this other guy on the team who plays a pretty good left wing as well, in fact he’s an MVP finalist.
So the New York Rangers are now looking at potential depth at left wing that includes Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin, and Alexis Lafrenière. Sounds really good on paper until you start connecting the dots.
If you leave well enough alone with the current Ranger lines of 1 and 1A, Kreider and Panarin keep top line minutes. If that is the case, do you really want talent like Alexis Lafrenière playing third line minutes, with third line talent?
Granted the Rangers third line centered by Filip Chytil with Kappo Kakko on the right side would make an interesting place for Lafrenière to play but that makes the assumption that the top two lines stay intact, and that is just not going to happen. Certainly Ryan Strome or Jesper Fast are goners, maybe both, so a shake-up is inevitable.
If Chytil and/or Kakko move up to second line with Panarin, that leaves Lafrenière out in the cold. Sure you can build a line with Morgan Barron and Vitali Kravtsov but is that where you want to put your newest prize possession?
All this speculation really only points to one thing for the New York Rangers, and that is buyers remorse. You have to think that if the Rangers could get a re-do of deadline day knowing what they know now, they would have dealt Kreider. That is now the conundrum.
Teams don’t play $6.5 million players on the third line. You can’t stymie the development of a potentially generational player on the third line. Something has got to give.
Let’s say the Rangers do take Lafrenière and he lives up to the hype. Now you have a situation developing that mirrors the Brady Skjei trade to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Rangers will be looking for cap space to sign Mika Zibanejad in about a year and a half, the prime candidate to be moved at that time will be Chris Kreider. Only he has a No Movement Clause for the first four years of his deal. After that, he submits a 15 team no trade list.
That is why Rangers fans must play close attention to days leading up to the draft in October. There is another kid out there who may be a better fit for the team right now. Sudbury Wolves, 6’4 center, Quinton Byfield. If Jeff Gorton and John Davidson decide that depth down the middle is worth more than depth on the left side, the Rangers could very well make a move to grab Byfield rather than Lafrenière.
That move would put even more pressure on Chris Kreider to be a leader, to be a consistent force on the left side. Are we all completely comfortable with that?
If they do take Lafrenière, then the clock may start immediately ticking on Chris Kreider’s time with the New York Rangers.