The New York Rangers made an important decision this offseason as general manager Chris Drury traded the team’s longest tenured player, Chris Kreider, and a fourth-round pick to the Anaheim Ducks for prospect Carey Terrance and a third-round pick. Kreider returned to Madison Square Garden on Dec. 15 in the midst of a strong season while New York is struggling to score, and Terrance is struggling in the American Hockey League (AHL).
Kreider Is Off to a Great Start, While Terrance Is Struggling
After consistently scoring around 25 goals per season, Kreider broke through during the 2021-22 season and finished with 52 goals and 25 assists in 81 games. He then finished with 36 goals and 18 assists in 79 games in 2022-23, and he had 39 goals and 36 assists in 82 games in 2023-24. He also had 24 goals and 13 assists in 43 postseason games during those three seasons.
Kreider was excellent on both the power play and penalty kill and played his best in the postseason. He helped the Rangers make a run to the Eastern Conference Final in 2021-22 and 2023-24. However, he dealt with a few injuries last season and struggled, finishing with 22 goals and eight assists in 68 games.
This season, Kreider is once again healthy and is playing at a high level. He is a weapon on the power play as he is difficult to move from the front of the net, and consistently scores on deflections and rebounds. He has also done a nice job on the penalty kill, and he can be trusted to defend well late in close games. His speed also allows him to get in on the forecheck and get around opposing defenders.
After missing the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons, the Ducks are 20-12-2 in 34 games. Kreider has 13 goals and eight assists in 30 games, including six power-play goals, and he has played an important role in the team’s impressive start.
Terrance, the 20-year-old prospect the Rangers acquired in the Kreider trade, was selected by the Ducks in the second round of the 2023 NHL Draft. He spent four seasons with the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and finished with 20 goals and 19 assists in 45 games last season. Though he is a fast skater who back checks, he has struggled offensively in his first season in the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack and has just two goals and one assist in 25 games.
Rangers Miss Kreider
After making the playoffs for three consecutive seasons, the Rangers missed the playoffs last season, and they are 16-15-4 this season. Their biggest issue this season has been their inability to generate offense, as they have already been shut out seven times and have been held to two or fewer goals in 19 of their 35 games.
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Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad are tied for the Rangers’ lead in goals this season with 11. During the team’s run to the Eastern Conference Final in 2021-22 and 2023-24, they had one of the best power plays in the NHL, but this season they have scored on just 18.3 percent of the power-play opportunities, and they have also allowed five shorthanded goals. They have yet to find a successful net front presence this season, after losing Kreider, who consistently produced on the man advantage.
One of the biggest issues with the Kreider trade was the disappointing return. Drury traded him after the worst season of his career and failed to acquire a high-level prospect or an early draft pick in return. They essentially traded him to create cap space, but they miss his offense and leadership.
Rangers Are in a Bad Position
Drury has repeatedly traded players when their value is low, which has resulted in disappointing returns, as has happened with Kreider, Kaapo Kakko, and Jacob Trouba. They have an aging roster and many of their veterans who are already starting to struggle are signed to expensive, long-term contracts. They also have a surplus of bottom-six forwards and third-pair defensemen.
While losing Kreider is far from the Rangers’ only issue, he is playing at a high level while they are struggling, and the prospect they acquired for him is off to a rocky start in the AHL.
