Thoughts on the Chris Kreider trade rumor

Waves were made and people were shook this morning. Per Elliotte Friedman, there are Chris Kreider trade rumors, as Chris Drury looks to shake up the Rangers and hopefully light a fire under them after four weeks of pretty bad hockey. Kreider has nine goals and no assists this season while his play driving numbers have plummeted. It’s still early, though. As per usual, I have thoughts.

1. The Kreider trade rumor makes sense from a logical and objective standpoint. He’s every GM’s preferred playoff player. He’s big, fast, can play physical, gets to the net, and plays all three strengths well. He will fetch the biggest haul, even more than Ryan Lindgren. His limited no-trade (15 teams) makes him more moveable than most other players on the roster.
   
   When you put all that together, it’s logical, if painful.
   
2. Remember though, all these rumors are to be taken with a grain of salt. Trading Kreider would be a massive move, and one that puts Drury in the crosshairs. It’s clear there’s a leadership void in the locker room, potentially brought on by the endless Jacob Trouba rumors all summer, and Kreider is a part of that leadership group. He’s the only one that can/will be moved that brings back a haul, so again this checks out.
   
   That said, the Rangers usually play things close to the vest, and it’s unusual that the Kreider trade rumor got out there. There are many ways to look at it, but perhaps the Kreider trade rumor is being floated/sourced by the Rangers to light a fire under the team. “Get your acts together or you’ll see what happens” kind of a thing.
   
3. For those wondering why not Lindgren, the answer is pretty easy. The Rangers have either NHL ready or close to NHL ready kids in the AHL in both Brett Berard and Brennan Othmann. They have Gabe Perreault coming over soon. They already have Kaapo Kakko, Alexis Lafreniere, and Will Cuylle as young wingers. At some point, something has to give. They need to clear roster space, and Kreider can address a lot of other organizational needs.
   
4. Subjectively, and as a fan, if the Kreider trade rumors are true and he winds up getting moved, it will be met with many tears and upset fans. Kreider is by far my favorite Ranger, and while this wouldn’t be on a Brian Leetch level of trades, it would be pretty close. He’s a lifelong Ranger, finally had his career defining playoff moment.
   
   This would be painful, maybe even for the staunchest Kreider haters.
   
5. There are two approaches to this trade. The first is a retool for this season, again much in the light of the Nomar Garciaparra trade the Red Sox made in 2004. It would be a trade of a top player to address other weaknesses on the team. The Red Sox sacrificed offense for defense and relievers. The Rangers would be sacrificing special teams for more consistent 5v5 play.
   
   The other approach is a trade for short term futures, perhaps a young center that is on the cusp or about to get a new contract, a la the Derick Brassard for Mika Zibanejad trade all those years ago.
   
6. The big thing to remember with the Kreider trade rumor is that Drury doesn’t rush to decisions anymore. He did that once, and it was one of the worst trades in franchise history. To me, this is likely one last ditch effort to light a fire under these guys before something big happens.
   
   And remember, a move like this is career defining for Drury as well. If the Kreider trade rumor turns out to be true and he acts on it, then whatever path he takes (point #5) better pay off. He can’t get another Sammy Blais and a 2nd round pick. He needs to hit a home run.