Why the New York Rangers are going to miss Chris Kreider

It's officially the end of an era — Chris Kreider is no longer a New York Ranger.

The longest tenured member of the Ranger roster was traded away to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for forward Carey Terrance and a third-round pick (originally Toronto’s) in the 2025 NHL Draft. National Hockey League insider Frank Seravalli made the initial report on Tuesday. Terrance, 20-years-old, captained the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) this past season, registering 20 goals and 19 assists for 39 points in 45 games.

"We want to thank Chris Kreider for all of his contributions to the Rangers organization over his stellar career. Chris has been an integral part of some of the most iconic moments in Rangers history, including setting multiple franchise records and helping the team advance to the 2014 Stanley Cup Final," said Rangers President and General Manager Chris Drury. "His leadership on the ice and tireless efforts in the community — which he was recognized for as the inaugural recipient of the Rod Gilbert "Mr. Ranger" Award - only add to his distinguished Rangers legacy. Chris will always be a Ranger and we wish him and his family all the best."

On the ice, Kreider was a leader in so many ways for the Rangers and certainly left his mark when it came to his success and being the face of New York sports.

Kreider — a Massachusetts native — was the longest tenured Ranger on New York's roster. Since being selected in the first round of the 2009 NHL Draft, he has made New York history. Kreider's first NHL goal was the winner in Game 6 against Ottawa in April of 2012. He also scored the winner in Game 1 of the second round against the Washington Capitals. Not to mention his 326 goals and 256 assists for 582 points were the 10th most in the franchise's history.

"[Being a New York Ranger] comes with a responsibility to conduct yourself in a certain way every day. I think about Henrik Lundqvist as the ultimate example of what a New York Ranger is; how to conduct yourself away from the rink, how to conduct yourself away and at the rink as a professional, your approach to winning, what you ask from yourself and from your teammates," Kreider has said. "It's an organization and a city that expects to be competitive and expects to win, expects their players to want to do whatever it takes to win ... I don't know what it's like to be anything other than a New York Ranger."

His 326 goals are behind only Jean Ratelle and the late great Rod Gilbert on the all-time list for the New York Rangers. Additionally, since 2021-22, Kreider has scored more goals than Jake Guentzel, Sidney Crosby, Adrian Kempe, Mark Scheifele, Sebastian Aho and Brady Tkachuk.

Why Kreider's off-ice leadership cannot be replaced

Were the NHL fans that said it was time to move on from Kreider potentially correct? Yes.

This is because his legendary career has been overshadowed by him underdelivering —to put it lightly — throughout the 2024-25 season. Back spasms and an illness/vertigo limited Kreider to 68 games in 2024-25. His 30 points (22 goals, eight assists) marked his lowest season output since the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign. The 34-year-old also took up a spot that could have been fulfilled by younger talent who could have another decade of good NHL years in them.

But, fans often forget that Chris Kreider delivers a level of leadership in the locker room that cannot be replaced.

In the NHL, there is not one single active player in the league who has as many years of experience playing for the Rangers as Kreider. This was a fact he relished in. Whenever a new player was added to the Blueshirt roster, Kreider always welcomed them with open arms and gave them an extra boost to beginning their journey with the Rangers.

This is evidenced by what happened once 22-year-old enforcer Matt Rempe became a Blueshirt during the 2023-24 season.

"He's helped me so much," Rempe previously said of Kreider. "Last year we say next to each other on the plane and he gave me tons of advice ... He's a really smart guy. I can't speak highly enough of him."

Later on, Rempe would end up doing the majority of his offseason training with Kreider.

On March 31, 2025, the New York Rangers agreed to terms with forward Gabe Perreault on a three-year, entry-level contract following the conclusion of Boston College's play in the NCAA men's ice hockey championship at the Manchester Regional. Kreider related to Perreault in a way that other player's couldn't — he also went to Boston College, competed for a National Championship, and also made a debut for the Rangers after the conclusion of a college season. Perreault was a runner up in 2024, Kreider won titles in 2010 and 2012.

The first player to text Perreault when he signed? Kreider.

"I mean, this is home for me. This is the organization that gave me an opportunity to live out my dream. I’ve developed so many incredible relationships and grown up and spent in this area. So, obviously, this is where I want to be and this is the group I want to help in whatever fashion and win hockey games."

Chris Kreider

Are there other players who have the capability of being similar to Kreider as a leader both on and off the ice to the rest of the Rangers' roster? Yes. But are there any players in the league who can do that while having played for the Blueshirts since 2012? No.

So — again — were the NHL fans that said it was time to move on from Kreider potentially correct? Yes. But, are the NHL fans who say "[redacted] you" to Drury also correct? Yes.