Rangers Make Huge Move With Chris Kreider on Monday

The NHL’s holiday roster freeze is still in effect until Friday, but it feels like one of the first moves that could be made once the freeze lifts is a trade of Chris Kreider out of Manhattan.

The New York Rangers have made their long-time forward a healthy scratch for Monday afternoon's game against the New Jersey Devils.

Chris Kreider is a healthy scratch today against the Devils. pic.twitter.com/hx7hCFeag8
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 23, 2024

The move isn’t much of a surprise, given the fact that Rangers GM Chris Drury made specific mention of Kreider in a league-wid memo as one of the players that should be on trade alert as he endeavours to shake up the struggling Blueshirts.

Add to that, the fact that Kreider is off to a brutal start to the season with just 12 points in 30 games and a plus/minus rating of -4, and it seems that the massive move of today's scratch sends a huge message that a trade seems almost inevitable.

Kreider, 33, is the longest-tenured Ranger, with them for all 13 of his NHL seasons. His struggles have really hit a low point now though, as he has just one goal in his last nine games, and one has to think that when ex-Ranger Kaapo Kakko lamented his own benching last week and said "I haven't been the worst one out there", he might have been referring to someone like Kreider.

The veteran has nine 20+ goal seasons, including a 52-goal performance three years ago, and two consecutive years with 30+ since then heading into this season.

The Rangers came into their game with the Devils on a 4-12 spiral, and are now 6th in the Metropolitan Division and 22nd overall in the NHL.