The New York Rangers have a drastically different team than they had when they made it to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2024. There were a variety of Rangers mainstays that are playing elsewhere, due in part to Drury either trying to clear up cap space or to bring in other players. One of the big players that the Rangers moved recently was forward Chris Kreider. Despite holding the third-most goals scored in franchise history, the Rangers traded Kreider to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for forward prospect Carey Terrance and a 2025 third-round pick, which they used on Russian defenseman Artyom Gonchar.
Kreider experienced success in Anaheim, putting up 50 points (22 goals, 28 assists) in 75 games, helped the Ducks make the playoffs, and pick up a first-round series victory over the Edmonton Oilers. But is Kreider's stint in Anaheim about to be shortlived?
The Ducks are currently in a conundrum, as they watched center Leo Carlsson get signed to an offer sheet by the Philadelphia Flyers. Because of this, the Ducks will see a significant chunk of their cap space dedicated to Carlsson if they match the five year contract with an annual salary of $18 million. With that, and the team signing Pavel Mintyukov to a five-year, $36 million contract extension, there is only so much cap space remaining. Not to mention they will have to pay Cutter Gauthier this summer, too. That could leave the Ducks having to make a difficult decision or three.
In the recent episode of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman suggested that the Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek could be forced to move one, two, or all of Frank Vatrano, Alex Killorn, and Kreider this offseason.
Chris Kreider could be Ducks' cap casualty after Leo Carlsson offer sheet
"He might have to move, he's got three guys with some degree of no trade protection. Kreider, Killorn, Vatrano. He might have to move ore or two of them, maybe all three of them," said Friedman. "It's really going to hurt the depth of his club."
It will be interesting to see what the Ducks do. If they match Carlsson's offer from the Flyers, he will officially be the highest paid player in hockey...for now. Then, they'll have to try and retain Gauthier, who is projected to earn $8.8 million per year on his next contract, per AFP Analytics. So, the Ducks will have to make some interesting choices.
Kreider is currently set to enter the last year of his current contract, where he counts for $6.5 million against the cap. Meanwhile, Killorn counts for $6.25 million against the cap in his final year. Vatrano is under contract through the 2027-28 season, where he counts for $4.57 million against the cap each year. So those are some deals the Ducks might have to move to free up some cap space. But as Friedman said, it could hurt their depth by doing so, especially since they are competing in the Pacific Division, which features the Oilers, Vegas Golden Knights, and Los Angeles Kings, all of whom made the playoffs this past season. Not to mention, the San Jose Sharks are on the rise and have a stacked roster.
One has to wonder if Kreider were to hit the market again, whether it's on the trade block or in free agency next summer, would the Rangers eye a reunion? The team does need a forward, but it would be a bit counterproductive to trade for a player they gave up on a year ago. Maybe free agency would be a better option if they do opt for a reunion.
Either way, it appears that Kreider's status with the Ducks is far from lock solid.
Add us as a preferred source on Google