Chris Kreider shines bright in New York Rangers history
Chris Kreider is having his best season as a New York Ranger. This fact is undeniable with a career high 42 goals and 58 points scored. He is on pace to tie Jaromir Jagr’s 54 goals for the most in a single season for a New York Rangers player. Additionally, Jagr’s record of 24 power play goals is within reach as well. Kreider currently has 22 power play goals, one behind Vic Hadfield for second place and tied with Marcel Dionne and Mike Gartner for third on the Rangers list.
Kreider;s 42 goals are also currently tied with Leon Draisaitl for second place in the NHL goal scoring race, just four behind Auston Matthews. Should he be able to pass Matthews, he could become the first Ranger to lead the league in goals scored since Lynn Patrick scored 32 in 1941-42.
Kreider nets the NHL spotlight for the New York Rangers
Goal scoring is always a premium asset for the NHL to showcase. This season the NHL has received a lions share of goal scoring story lines. That the NHL can focus its spotlight on two of its biggest markets is an added bonus to the equation. Kreider’s electrifying season helps the NHL focus on New York, while Matthews league leading 46 goals with the Maple Leafs shines a spotlight on Toronto. Additionally, Matthews is on pace to reach the 60 goal mark, a feat last accomplished in the NHL by Steven Stamkos in 2011-12.
The Great Eight vs the Great One
A little further south, the NHL is keeping an eye on Alexander Ovechkin’s chase to catch Wayne Gretzky for the most goals in NHL history. Ovechkin currently sits as 770 career goals, third all time having just recently passed Jagr’s 766. Additionally his 40 goals this season has him on pace to reach 50 goals for the ninth time. This feat would tie the NHL record currently shared by Gretzky and Mike Bossy.
Much debate has raged regarding who is the best. Its Gretzky’s peak versus Ovechkin’s longevity. At his current pace, Ovechkin will pass Gordie Howe’s 801 goals for second all time next season. His pace will also catch Gretzky’s 894 no later than the 2024-25 season and feasibly in fewer games played than it took the Great One. This would certainly end the best goal scorer of all time debate. If his pace should begin to slip, Oveckin’s contract runs through the 2025-26 season, giving him extra time to break the record, if needed.
New York Rangers history comes up short
When Kreider reached the 40 goal milestone, he joined a short list in New York Rangers history. Kreider became only the ninth New York Rangers draft pick to reach 40 goals in a season. This is a hard fact to digest, to realize that in the nearly 60 years the NHL has had a draft, the Rangers have selected so few players to reach this milestone.
We could go so far as to add four more players to this list as “original” Rangers. Players who began their career with the New York Rangers prior to the institution of the draft. The GAG line of Rod Gilbert, Vic Hadfield and Jean Ratelle all reached at least 40 goals, as did Andy Bathgate. Even still, this brings the total to 13. Still a low number by anyones estimation.
Perhaps worse still is the fact that even fewer reached the 40 goal plateau while in a New York Rangers sweater. In addition to the “original” Rangers list, Kreider is only the fifth Rangers draft pick to score forty for the Rangers. Before him, only Steve Vickers (41 in 1974-75), Pat Hickey (40 in 1977-78), Ron Duguay (40 in 1981-82) and Tomas Sandstrom (40 in 1985-86) had reached that mark.
Captain Kreider
With his 42nd goal Kreider, scored last night against the New Jersey Devils, he became the most prolific goal scorer among New York Rangers draft pick’s while in a Rangers uniform. Should his pace continue he is also set to score more goals than any Rangers draft pick, ever. Though he was with the Boston Bruins at the time, Rick Middleton set the bar for New York Rangers draft picks with 51 goals in 1981-82.
Sad to see you go
The Rangers have made a habit of giving up on players too soon, trading the potential of their young players for established and aging stars. Unfortunately, 40 goal scorers have not been exempted from this habit. Four New York Rangers draft picks have potted forty after departing the Rangers organization, with two doing so multiple times. Middleton reached the 40 goal mark in five consecutive years for the Bruins from 1979 to 1984. Tony Amonte scored 40 plus for the Chicago Blackhawks in three out of four season dating from 1996 thru 2000. Dave Gagner scored 40 in 1990-91 for the Minnesota North Stars and Alexei Kovalev reached 44 with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2000-01.
Trying to rekindle past glory
The Rangers have also made a habit of bringing in marquee names to Madison Square Garden. In doing so, though many were past their prime, six of the top ten goal scorers in NHL history have worn the Broadway Blueshirt. Gretzky (1st all time) from 1996-99 added 57 goals with the Rangers. Jagr (4th all time) from 2003-08 would add 124 goals, while Marcel Dionne (6th all time) would net 42 goals from 1987-89 and Phil Esposito (7th all time) would put the biscuit in the basket 184 times.
Mike Gartner (8th all time) would score 173 goals over parts of five years for the Rangers from 1990-94. He would be traded at the 1994 trade deadline before finding glory with the team that year. Lastly, and most importantly, the Messiah, Mark Messier (9th all time) scored 250 goals with the Rangers over 10 seasons. Messier is seventh all time in the Rangers record books. He should really be in third, but his 52 goals scored for the Vancouver Canucks don’t count.
Climbing the charts
Kreider is currently twelfth all time in the Ranger goal scoring history. At his current pace, he could finish the season in tenth place, passing both Walt Tzchuck and Bill Cook with just ten more goals. How next season or the rest of his career plays out is anyone’s guess, but with five years remaining on his contract and a new found level to his game, he could easily find himself as second all time in goals scored in New York Rangers history behind number 7, Rod Gilbert.
Must Read. The New York Rangers have found the IT factor. light