After a 6-2 beatdown in Edmonton on Saturday, the New York Rangers and general manager Chris Drury seem to be considering some pretty significant roster moves to get the squad back on track.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported on Monday that the Rangers are listening to offers on captain Jacob Trouba and winger Chris Kreider, while talks for other players are still ongoing.
Though Trouba trade talks have been omnipresent the past few months — the Rangers were reportedly trying to find a landing spot for the defenceman in the off-season, but a deal never came to fruition — Kreider's name in the rumour mill is a recent development.
"The Kreider thing is very new," Friedman said on The FAN Hockey Show with Matt Marchese and Mike Futa on Monday afternoon. "Kreider does not have full no-move protection and I think there would be interest."
The longest-tenured Ranger, Kreider has been with the team since the 2012-13 season and has helped lead the squad to nine post-season appearances in his 12 seasons with the team, including a 2014 run to the Stanley Cup Final and three trips to the Eastern Conference Final. The three-time 30 goal-scorer and one-time 52 goal-scorer, like other veterans in New York, has struggled out of the gate, with just nine goals and no assists in 19 games.
With the Rangers sitting at a 12-6-1 record with a .658 win percentage, good for fourth in the Metropolitan Division and the first Eastern wild-card spot, are they really ready to part ways with one of their most prolific power-play producers?
Not so fast.
"What we're trying to determine now is, are the Rangers serious about (trading) him, or is Drury just trying to shake him his room and say, 'guys, get going here or we will do something,'" Friedman explained. "He's the longest-serving Ranger. He could have left a few years ago and didn't — he stayed. He's a big-time emotional leader on that team. The Kreider name... it's like an earthquake.
"What we're trying to determine is, really, could they trade him? Or are they trying to let everyone know that [they're] not happy with the way [they're] playing right now."
Kreider is in the fifth year of a seven-year, $45.5-million contract and, notably, switched from a full no-move clause to a modified no-trade clause (15 teams) at the start of this season.
The 33-year-old had his most productive season in 2021-22, when he scored 52 goals — including 11 game-winners — and 77 points in 81 games.
Despite losing games to the Oilers and Calgary Flames over the weekend, the Rangers are still on pace to make their fourth consecutive playoff appearance — not quite time to press the self-destruct button on the roster just yet.
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