Rangers trade away Chris Kreider and fans are struggling to process it

It is the end of an era as Chris Kreider has been traded from the New York Rangers after spending 1,006 games between the regular and postseason.

The Blueshirts have finally moved on from the veteran winger whose name had been in trade rumors all season long, and they now have created some much needed salary cap space as they look to improve their roster this summer.

In addition to cap space, the Rangers are getting some assets which will help with their long-term goal of improving the prospect pipeline. In addition to a swap of a fourth-round pick for a third-round pick which is 15 spots higher in the draft, the Rangers are acquiring Carey Terrance, a 20-year-old center drafted in the second round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.

Terrance stands 6'1" and weighs 187 pounds and was born in Akwesasne, NY, which is 380 miles away from Madison Square Garden. Akwesasne is a Mohawk Nation territory that straddles the intersection of the US and Canada, and Terrance hopes to one day represent Mohawk Nation in the NHL.

The Rangers' newest center prospect has spent 230 games in the OHL with the Erie Otters, and in that span has scored 89 goals and added 73 assists for 162 points (0.70 points per game). This season he finished with a line of 20-19-39 in 45 games played. He also represented Team USA at World Juniors, and tallied 2 goals in 7 games played.

Here's how EliteProspects described Terrance prior to being drafted in their annual draft guide.

"Terrance gets his chances two ways: Solo drives off the rush and give-and-goes. For the former, he dekes through opponents, burns them down the outside with speed, and then skates through their hands to his way to the net. For the latter, he takes the middle and passes wide before turning on the afterburners, beating defenders to the net for the return feed. Even if the puck never arrives, he pushes back defenders to create lanes elsewhere."

EliteProspects 2023 NHL Draft Guide

All in all, Terrance is a decent project for the Rangers, and the hope is that he's able to be a bottom-six option for them in the future. The Blueshirts could use some decent two-way forwards that skate well, and he certainly appears to be someone who can help in that regard.

As for Kreider, his Rangers' ledger closes with him having recorded 326 goals, 256 assists, and 582 points in 883 regular season games. He also appeared in 123 playoff games and added 48 goals and 28 assists for 76 points. In terms of his performance as a Ranger, Kreider ranked 3rd in goals, 10th in points, 8th in games played, and tied for 1st in power play goals.

In the playoffs Kreider's 123 games are most among skaters, he ranks 1st in goals, and 3rd in points. He also scored 16 goals in 30 games in which Kreider and the Rangers potentially faced elimination, and that ties him with Mark Messier for the most in NHL history.

The move is a tough one for fans to swallow considering everything he meant to the franchise, but this is something many could see coming for a while. Kreider is coming off a down year in which he finished with just 22 goals and 8 assists for 30 points in 68 games.

A year prior he was on top of the world for the Blueshirts with another near career year in which he finished with 39 goals, 36 assists, and 75 points in 82 games played. That said, he's joining an Anaheim Ducks squad that is looking to turn the corner, and he should fit in nicely there.

This is not how most fans envisioned Kreider's tenure with the Rangers ending. Most probably saw him being a Blueshirt for the entirety of his career, retiring, and then returning a few years later for a ceremony to raise his No. 20 jersey to the Garden rafters. That last part could still likely happen given everything he meant to the franchise, but it will feel a little different now if that comes to pass.

For now though, today is officially the end of an era as the Rangers have said goodbye to a player who gave them so much over the years. The Blueshirts will forge a new path with the hopes of building a contender that allows they to capture a prize they've been chasing for over 30 years. Whether it works or not is to be determined.