Chris Kreider — the longest-tenured player on the New York Rangers — was a healthy scratch Monday against the New Jersey Devils. The move was aimed at shaking the lineup to try and provide it with another spark, was made by head coach Peter Laviolette but backfired massively as the Rangers fell 5-0 at the Prudential Center. Ever since, rumors have been swirling about whether or not Kreider is on the trading block.
Kreider’s tenure with the Rangers spans back 13 years, so to see him get benched in this fashion just feels fishy, but head coach Peter Laviolette said that the decision was a simple one for him.
“At the end of the day, we're not playing a brand that we need to play in order to be successful,” Laviolette also said postgame. “He's a guy that we count on to help deliver that. For me, those conversations aren't easy, but that's the decision that I made."
Flashing back to the present, mock trade ideas have been floating around on Twitter/X.
With Chris Kreider being shopped, here's one mock trade idea I've been pondering about:
— WILLY COOLS 🥶🎅🎄4 MVP (16-17-1) (@BaldPanarin) December 26, 2024
To #NHLBruins - Chris Kreider (3x6.5M)
To #NYR - Brandon Carlo (3x4.1M)
A true 1-for-1 deal...Who says no? pic.twitter.com/qAC5CtQ51d
However, Kreider is in the fifth year of a seven-year, $45.5-million contract and, notably, switched from a full no-move clause to a modified no-trade clause (15 teams) at the start of the 2024-25 season.
A player like Kreider isn't usually available, but because of the Rangers' struggles this year, they could be looking to move him. Kreider was reportedly mentioned by name in a league-wide memo earlier this year about players New York would consider trading.
And adding fuel to the fire, as quoted by Vancouver Canucks Daily's Maverick Mitchell:
""Someone told me the Canucks called the Rangers about Chris Kreider. But my guess is Vancouver is probably on Kreider's no-trade list - he's got a healthy one, I think, 15 teams. Rangers sent out feelers that Kreider and [Jacob] Trouba were available, so every team called, including the Canucks," quoted by Canucks Daily's Maverick Mitchell."Maverick Mitchell
The Massachusetts native has had one of the least productive seasons of his career. With 11 goals and just one assist through 30 games played, Kreider is on pace for his lowest point total since the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season (the third lockout in two decades).
Should he be traded — he would be among well-known Rangers Jacob Trouba (Anaheim Ducks) and Kaapo Kakko (Seattle Kraken) — who also departed from the New York roster this year.