New York Rangers: Six possible trade partners for Chris Kreider
By Ed Stein
Pittsburgh Penguins
What could Kreider do on the left side of Crosby or Malkin? No offense to Mika Zibanejad, but Crosby and Malkin are two of the best playmakers in the game. An intra-divisional trade isn’t the ideal spot to send someone who has been a productive part of the organization for the last eight seasons. If the Pens come up with a package New York Rangers General Manager Jeff Gorton can’t refuse, it might happen.
The concern is what Pittsburgh can send back. They lack top-level prospects so the Rangers have to get at least a first-round pick and maybe a mid-rounder as well because the Pens won’t be selecting very high. As a kicker, it would be nice for New York to get back Zach Aston-Reese who is Kreider-lite. The 25-year-old forward is a local kid, born on Staten Island. I believe the last Rangers player born there was Nick Fotiu.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Another New York Rangers reunion in Tampa Bay. The Lighting already has Ryan McDonagh and Kevin Shattenkirk and until this summer JT Miller. Why not add another forward from Broadway? Kreider would be the gritty, hard-nosed, productive forward the Bolts have been lacking this year. He might just be enough to put Tampa over the top.
The Lightning prospect pool was rated the 23rd best by The Athletic’s Corey Pronman. Nolan Foote is the best forward prospect they have and he could be available. Additionally, the Bolts have two first-round picks in 2020 as a result of trading Miller to Vancouver. One of those picks could work. Depending on how much the Rangers are willing to pay could determine which pick they get.