We continue with the top-25 off-season questions. I have updated the list below, taking into account some suggestions and comments from the prior blogs, and we are now up 18 topics. This column discusses question 18:
Should the Rangers deal Chris Kreider, and if so, what should be the targeted return?
25 Questions:
In almost every year past, we have done some version of the top 20 or so off-season questions. To state the obvious and what should be remembered by many, we usually have entered the late-spring and summer with more questions than answers. This year may be no different, despite what looks to be settled on the team. As done in year's past, I throw this one to you, asking for you to provide your questions, which I will incorporate in the blogs to carry us through the summer.
1) Will Ryan Strome or Andrew Copp be re-signed, and if one is to be brought back, which one do you prefer?
2) Would you deal Kakko Kappo for a second or third line center and do you want that to be Kirby Dach?
3) Is Filip Chytil a center or a winger?
4) Did Alexis Lafreniere show enough to be moved to the top-six and do you view him as a first line right winger?
5) Would you buy out Patrik Nemeth or what would you package him with to free up his $2.5 million salary this year (and next)?
6) Who are you adding as Igor Shesterkin's back up once Alexandar Georgiev is moved? Can Keith Kinkaid and/or Adam Huska fill that spot? Do you add a veteran like Braden Holtby for $1 million?
7) Should New York add a veteran blueliner or try Nils Lundkvist or Zac Jones or Matthew Robertson as the sixth d-man? Would the wiser course of action to do both?
8) Is Vitali Kravtsov part of the future and will he be brought back to the US? (Covered in prior blog)
9) Would and should the Rangers really consider dealing Artemi Panarin as Arthur Staple hinted at in his column?
10) Will Brennan Othmann and/or Will Cuylle be given a REAL chance to make the squad this summer or will the Rangers opt to not rush the youngsters? Both are on their ELCs and are listed as LW. If they do make the roster, then who gets moved out?(TommyGTrain)
11) Are the Rangers built to compete against Colorado for the Stanley Cup?
12) Is Gerald Gallant the right coach for this team moving forward?
13) How do you want the third and/94 fourth lines to look? Do they need to be a traditional bottom-six or should the third line be more of a scoring line?
14) Should New York consider buying out the final season of Ryan Reaves’ deal? (Factors include cap savings for this year and small amount of dead cap space in 2023-24)
15) Is acquiring Jonathan Toews under strong consideration by New York?
16) What does Jessica Campbell bring to the table and how important is her hiring? (covered in prior blog)
17) Will Theo Fleury and Pat Verbeek make the Hall of Fame and what does their absence tell us about the voting process?
18)Should the Rangers deal Chris Kreider, and if so, what should be the targeted return?
More to come
This wasn’t a topic I originally thought about covering but one that came up on Twitter yesterday. A handful of individuals advocated dealing
Kreider, partially to create cap space with the downstream impact to use those available dollars to sign a second line center. Both of which are desirable goals, yet questionable in terms of who is the individual for that end state.
Kreider had a magical season, tallying 52 goals in the regular season and 10 in the playoffs, tying him with Adam Graves for most markers in a full season - regular and playoffs - for the Rangers. He also set a Rangers record with 26 powerplay goals, topping Jaromir Jagr’s 24 from 2005-2006. Kreider set a Rangers record with 11 game winning goals, topping the previous record of 9, shared by six others. In addition, he moved into a tie with Rod Gilbert with most playoff goals in franchise history with his 34rh in his career.
After looking at those numbers, expecting that kind of production again would be foolish, especially based on his past history. Coming into last year, many viewed Kreider’s career as disappointing based on how he burst on the scene and the skill set he has. Hard to argue with that thought, as it is one that I had as well, seeing the potential with which he entered the league and what his production was.
Pre-pandemic, Kreider signed an extension that is slated to keep him in New York through the 2026-27 at a $6.5 mil AAV. The key to that prior sentence is pre-pandemic. I think the prevailing view is that if Kreider was coming up to free agency during the pandemic, the years and/or dollar amount per year would have been reduced, impacted by the flat cap. The hope is that the cap will rise significantly after this season, presuming revenues are in line with what the league made this year, but that is not set in stone. For this season, the cap is up $1 million to $82.5 million.
Kreider’a first season under the new contract signed before the 2020 trade deadline was an unmitigated disaster. He failed to take any steps forward the following season, regressing pretty much across the board. Dealing him then probably would have made more sense but the Rangers would have gotten pennies on the dollar. New York made the wise decision, which was not surprising, to keep him in general and in his slot to the left of Mika Zibanejad.
Kreider because a master of the deflection, doing the dirty work in front of the net, showing ridiculous hand-eye coordination, especially on the power play. I can understand the view by some to deal him because if he is slightly off in his deflections, the goals he scored become shots that hit the net miser, post or go wide. But he has morphed into a true 200-foot player, backchecking even if/when offensive game is off.
Important, but maybe less so, was his leadership on and off the ice. He took another forward as the voice of this team, one several of us believe deserves the C on his chest. That is not a precluding factor to trading him, but a component in the equation.
Kreider underwent successful surgery to remove a small bone fragment from his wrist Friday. He's expected to make a full recovery in 2-4 weeks. If for some reason, New York decided to trade him, the injury should not be an impediment. July 1, 2024, Kreider’s NMC also become a Modified NTC, as he can submit a 15-team no-trade list.
My view is even though Kreider is likely at his peak value, dealing him is not the issue course or action. First, if you don’t think other teams know this, we are deluding ourselves, meaning getting fair value might be difficult. Second, if goal is to free up the salary to sign someone like Jesse Puljujarvi and use that savings to apply to a 2c, I guess that is a valid approach. But as much as I like Puljujarvi, we have no reason to believe he will take a step forward in his new environs. In addition, he may not come as cheap as expected, and if so, the sign a cheaper 3c and try Filip Chytil on the second line.
The latter portion of the paragraph above is not the approach I would take either. My view is keep Kreider, expect a regression and be happy with 35 or so goals. Sign a center who fits in cap wise and see where they land. Now, others think trading CK20 and using the savings towards trading for JT Miller or Dylan Larkin, each with a year remaining, or making a big push for Evgeni Malkin is the way to go, taking advantage of the year Kreider had. That might be the optimal approach, but now the one I would take.
What say you?
Would you deal Kreider? If so, what is the required return?
Who would you target to replace the offense lost by him?
Does the leadership he brings factor in your evaluation?
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