Was trading Chris Kreider the best move for the Rangers?

Although Chris Kreider was a long-time Ranger, his performance diminished, and during his last season, he suffered several injuries. Trading Chris Kreider was a great move for the Rangers. Now the Rangers have a chance to rebuild the team, but he will always be a Ranger to his loyal fans.

Who is Chris Kreider?

Kreider is a household name when it comes to the New York Rangers. He had been with the Rangers since 2012, and his whole career to date. Kreider was traded to the Anaheim Ducks on June 12, 2025. In the beginning, he was a young, agile player and quickly showed the team how well he could play, but as he's aged his game has changed. 

His 2021-22 season was dramatic and impressive for his career, highlighted by 52 goals. This elite season allowed Kreider to join the 50-goal club for the Rangers, which only has three other star players: Jaromir Jágr, Adam Graves, and Vic Hadfield. Kreider was on the road to being a star quickly. In the 2022-23 season, he scored his 20th goal and joined another Ranger club for eight 20-goal seasons. As you can see, Kreider was well recognized and gave it his best all the time.  The Rangers will miss having Kreider in their jersey; the fans will, too. 

What was good about the trade?

Losing such a big, iconic leadership name for the Rangers was a shock, but it did have a lot of good attached to it. There comes a time and a place to let someone go, even if they are part of the team, and Kreider’s time was up. It was time for something new and fresh. Anaheim took over the contract, which in turn freed up cap space for the Rangers. With more cap space, the Rangers have more room to trade and start rebuilding their team during the offseason. Which, if done right, could put the Rangers on a great start in the upcoming season.

Kreider had not had a good season, so trading a veteran made sense. As an aging player, the team needs to see a good performance, which he didn’t provide; a younger player seems more promising. Additionally, Kreider had multiple injuries during the 2024-25 season, which meant less ice time, and probably why he couldn’t give 100% on the ice. His injuries consist of back problems, vertigo, and even a hand injury. The Rangers can’t afford to hold space for a player who is hurt the majority of the time. 

Overall, the trade was a great move for the Rangers.  The Rangers really need to rebuild and come up with a strong team that can perform for the 2025-26 season. The Rangers need to play well and make the playoffs.

It’s not all of Kreider’s fault that the Rangers didn’t play well in the 2024-25 season. Yes, he was injured, but most players weren’t, and they very much underperformed. Kreider was a fan favorite. Everyone knew his name. Madison Square Garden had a sea of Kreider jerseys; fans ranked him high. He made numerous good plays when needed, which kept his name afloat. Kreider is a known leader to the team, and with being on the Rangers so long, that was his family. Ranger fans now know him as a Duck player, but he will always be an original Ranger player. 

Emotionally, for fans, maybe this wasn’t a great move, but strategically for the team, trading Kreider was a good move for the New York Rangers.