The New York Rangers have had a disappointing season, and a recent trade proposal suggests they could move a star forward to a Western Conference team.
Using PuckPedia’s PuckGM tool, a user proposed a deal in which the Rangers would send Chris Kreider to the Colorado Avalanche.
Proposed Trade:
Rangers receive:
- Jack Drury
- 2025 second-round pick
Avalanche receive:
- Chris Kreider ($2 million salary retained)
This would be a major trade, as the Rangers would part with Kreider in exchange for a draft pick and a young forward.
Drury, 25, is in the first year of a two-year, $3.45 million contract. He was already traded from the Carolina Hurricanes to the Avalanche as part of the Mikko Rantanen deal. Drury could fill a middle-six center role for New York, providing some youthful depth. This season, he has recorded 5 goals and 6 assists for 11 points in 49 games.
For Colorado, acquiring Kreider would bolster their playoff push. After trading away Rantanen, the Avalanche need a big-bodied scoring forward, which Kreider fits the mold of. The veteran winger is in the fifth year of his seven-year, $45.5 million contract and has posted 17 goals and 4 assists for 21 points in 48 games.
Kreider’s Trade Talks Earlier in the Season
Earlier this season, Kreider was mentioned in trade discussions as the Rangers looked to reshape their roster. Along with Jacob Trouba, his name surfaced in potential deals. While Trouba was ultimately moved, Kreider remained focused despite the rumors.
Addressing the trade speculation, Kreider told The New York Post:
“Shouldn’t trivialize someone’s feelings, but how you feel doesn’t affect your ability to do something that you’ve done for the entirety of your life — unless you let it. There’s guys in here who will say there are games where they come in and they feel great and they don’t play well. There’s games where they’re under the weather, they’re sick, maybe they’re a little banged up, and all of a sudden, the puck is following them around. Body knows what to do, just got to do it your own way and let it do it.”
A longtime Ranger, Kreider was drafted 19th overall in 2009 and has been with the team ever since.
Avalanche’s Willingness to Make Bold Moves
Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland has already shown a willingness to make blockbuster trades. His decision to move Rantanen to Carolina was a major shakeup, signaling Colorado’s commitment to restructuring its roster while still competing for a Stanley Cup.
Regarding the Rantanen trade, MacFarland stated:
“I think it was just a tough business decision here for us. I felt that the pieces we got made sense to strike now… It hurts, right. He’s a home-grown talent. He’s a superstar person, he’s a superstar human being. I think that’s sports, right. We’re going to talk about it, people are going to talk about it. Your heartstrings get tugged. That’s why we all do this. He’s that good of a hockey player… He had the UFA card and we felt this is what we had to do.”
Currently, the Avalanche hold a 33-24-2 record and are clinging to a Wild Card spot, making a trade for Kreider a potential game-changer.
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