Chris Kreider

Photo credit: Yahoo Sports

The New York Rangers faithful could have just seen Chris Kreider‘s last game as a blue shirt after a 13-year tenure with the organization. At the end of the game, Will Cuylle grabbed the game puck to hand to Kreider. Is GM Chris Drury’s plan to ship him out?

Last night, April 17th, 2025, the New York Rangers played the Tampa Bay Lightning and defeated them 4-0 in a bittersweet victory.

The victory had a shadow cast over it by the idea that Chris Kreider played his last game in a Rangers uniform last night.

Kreider would come out with a rare 2-point (1 goal, 1 assist) game in order to finish the season.

Like Kreider, the team underperformed this season, with a record of 39-36-7, and finished 5th in the Metropolitan Division.

With the season ending and Kreider finishing on a high note, trade talks are once again ramping up.

If the game against the Tampa Bay Lightning was his last game as a Ranger, GM Chris Drury will have to find a way to convince Kreider not only to drop his 15-team no-trade clause but find a team willing to take on his contract.

A deal that pays him $6.5 million AAV, that is, unless Drury is generous enough to retain a partial amount of his salary.

Kreider’s injuries earlier in the season may have been a partial reason why the forward hasn’t been traded. But with him healthy and ready to hit the golf course this year, we could see him shipped out in July, depending on how Drury works the phones.

His production took quite a dip this year, as he’s scored only 30 points (22 goals, 8 assists) in 68 games with the New York Rangers.

The Rangers have multiple free agents they will have to consider, while Will Borgen and Igor Shesterkin‘s new contracts kick in soon.

Will Kreider end up being the first casualty of the cap crunch in July?

Previously on NYRangersInsider

POLL

AVRIL 18   |   2402 ANSWERS

Recent reports confirm that New York Rangers veteran has played his final season with the organization

If you were GM Chris Drury of the New York Rangers, would you trade forward Chris Kreider?

Yes130254.2 %No110045.8 %List of polls