NHL Rumors: Huge Update On Rangers & Chris Kreider After 13 Seasons Together

Wednesday, April 09, 2025

After 13 seasons with the New York Rangers, Chris Kreider’s time on Broadway appears to be nearing its end. 

Once the face of consistency and a net-front force on the power play, the 33-year-old winger has seen a sharp decline in production, managing just 20 goals and five assists for 25 points through 63 games in a season that has unraveled for both player and team. 

A year after winning the Presidents' Trophy and reaching the Eastern Conference Final, the Rangers have stumbled badly, falling out of the playoff race with morale low and expectations unmet. Kreider’s chronic lower-back issues, compounded by other injuries and a fading presence on the ice, have made his $6.5 million cap hit more burdensome than beneficial.

General manager Chris Drury’s leaked trade memo from November, which reportedly included Kreider’s name, seemed to foreshadow this ending. 

Since then, Kreider’s game has looked uncharacteristically detached, with longtime Rangers columnist Larry Brooks remarking, “The marriage has reached its end. Alienation of affection, perhaps? We all know they are already sleeping in separate bedrooms.” 

Though Kreider was once viewed as a Ranger for life, his diminished role and the club’s need to create cap space to re-sign young pieces like K’Andre Miller and Will Cuylle have made a summer trade all but inevitable. 

With two years left on his deal and no full trade protection, Drury may look to move him while there's still a market.

Kreider’s exit would close the chapter on one of the franchise’s most loyal careers, which includes 323 goals (third in team history) and a Rangers-record 48 playoff goals. 

But it could also trigger a domino effect. Mika Zibanejad, Kreider’s closest friend and longtime linemate, has also struggled recently. 

If Kreider departs, it’s fair to wonder if Zibanejad might reconsider his own future in New York. What once looked like a core ready to chase a Cup is now fractured, and Kreider, a fan favorite and playoff warrior, could be the first major piece to go in what may become a sweeping reset.

Photo Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images

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