News of Chris Kreider’s contract termination with the Anaheim Ducks has opened the door to speculation regarding a potential reunion with the New York Rangers.
At face value, that’s a very real possibility.
The initial chatter has suggested that Kreider is unwilling to remain in the West Coast, and wants to return east. That makes a return to Broadway a reasonable assumption.
Kreider wants to remain in the east, and the Rangers need scoring. And since Kreider is now free to renegotiate a new contract, there might be a path for the Blueshirts to bring the former 50-goal scorer back.
That assessment depends on two crucial questions.
The first question focuses on whether there is any sort of appetite from either side to see the reunion through. The way in which the Rangers initially pushed Kreider out the door may have left some unpleasant feelings there. And if there is any lingering animosity, would that be enough to get in the way?
In fact, there might just be enough bad blood that a reunion may not even be in the cards.
The second question pertains to a broader issue: Do the Rangers even need Kreider? Considering the rebuild New York is going through, bringing back Kreider may do more harm than good.
Rangers Could Still Use What Chris Kreider Brings
On the whole, yes. The Rangers could use more depth scoring, and Chris Kreider still has something to offer.
Chris Kreider had 22 goals and 50 points in 75 games with Anaheim last season, continuing a career trend that has seen him reach the 20-goal mark 11 times. He is no longer the 50-goal threat he once was, but expecting 20 goals from him is still reasonable.
And if everything breaks right, perhaps there is still a 30-goal season hiding in there.
That would be particularly useful for a Rangers team that needs more secondary scoring. Kreider also knows the organization, the market and the pressure that comes with playing at Madison Square Garden.
But there is an obvious catch with Chris Kreider.
The Rangers are trying to get younger. Bringing back a 35-year-old winger would run somewhat counter to that plan. That doesn’t necessarily make a reunion a bad idea, but it does make the contract structure extremely important.
A one-year deal would make sense. It would allow New York to take things one season at a time without committing to an aging player beyond the immediate future.
Anything longer becomes much harder to justify.
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Blueshirts Would Have to Get Creative Financially
This is where a potential Chris Kreider reunion gets complicated.
The Rangers currently have just $995K in projected cap space, leaving virtually no room for another meaningful contract.
That means New York would almost certainly have to move somebody if it wanted to bring Kreider back on a traditional contract.
There is another possibility, though.
If Kreider is willing to sign a heavily incentive-laden contract at the league’s 35-plus threshold, the Rangers could potentially make the math work. A one-year deal with a relatively modest base salary and performance bonuses would give both sides a way to test the reunion without creating a major long-term commitment.
That might be the sweet spot.
Kreider gets another chance in New York. The Rangers get a proven 20-goal scorer without tying themselves down.
But if Chris Kreider is looking for a guaranteed multi-year deal, the reunion probably doesn’t make much sense.
At that point, the Rangers simply don’t have the money or the roster flexibility to make nostalgia a priority.
Chris Kreider Contract Termination Opens Door for Rangers Return