New York Rangers: Six possible trade partners for Chris Kreider

It’s inevitable that the New York Rangers will trade forward Chris Krieder by the NHL’s 2020 trade deadline. These are some likely trade partners who could net a good return.

As unhappy as it makes New York Rangers fans, veteran power forward Chris Kreider will be traded by the time the clock strikes 3:00 PM on Monday, February 24. Even with his modified no-trade clause, the Blueshirts won’t keep him. Larry Brooks wrote a great article in the New York Post laying out the case about why Kreider must be dealt away.

His contention is that results in this season aren’t as important to the New York Rangers as their future is. New York occupies 13th place in the Eastern Conference, 11 points behind Carolina for the final Wildcard slot. The likelihood NYR is in the postseason hunt a month from now is very slim.

Then there is Kreider’s status as a pending unrestricted free agent. The Rangers really don’t have enough cap space to re-sign the left wing. It’s likely Kreider will demand in the neighborhood of $7M per season for six seasons. At 28-years-old, it doesn’t benefit the Blueshirts to go with a long term deal, even if they could finagle the money.

Looking at the trade market, there isn’t another forward with Kreider’s combination of skill, size, and grit. He is by far the best player available and would be a fine addition to a playoff contender’s top-six. Additionally, Kreider is having his best NHL season to date with 32 points including 10 on the man advantage, in 48 games. The Rangers could use the young players and/or top draft picks they would get.

Here are the top contenders to acquire Kreider’s services.