Breaking Down the Chris Kreider-Anaheim Ducks Trade

Chris Kreider was traded from the New York Rangers to the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday. The Ducks acquired Kreider and a fourth-round pick in exchange for prospect Carrey Terrance and a 2025 third-round pick in this year’s draft. Here’s what the trade means for both teams and who got the better end of the deal. 

What the Chris Kreider Trade Means For New York 

The Rangers were able to get rid of Kreider’s $6.5 million salary without having to retain anything. That’s a win by itself, but even more so it gives the Rangers much more cap flexibility this summer. He had 22 goals and 8 assists for New York last season in 68 games. Those numbers are a significant decrease in goal scoring, as in the last three seasons he scored 52, 36, and 39 goals. 

If the Rangers had any concerns as a reason for trading Kreider, it would probably be his age and the significant decrease in goal production. He is 34 years old, and to see a 17-goal dropoff from last season would seem like a good reason for alarm bells to get set off in the Rangers front office. Kreider did a great deal for New York, but this looks like a win for the Rangers. They were able to shed the veteran’s salary before the drop-off potentially got worse.  

What the Trade Means For Anaheim

Anaheim is acquiring a veteran who can still score. Who knows, the 17-goal drop-off from last season could’ve been a one-off. There’s a chance Kreider could become that 35-goal scorer again. If he does the Ducks might have found lightning in a bottle. Kreider will be able to help Anaheim’s young forwards while helping the Ducks with their scoring. 

Last Thoughts

It is impossible to declare a winner or a loser in this deal as of now. The Rangers won in the fact that they cleared up some much-needed cap space. Anaheim won in the sense that they got a veteran forward who can still play and can make the team better while also being a good influence on the young players. We’ll be able to judge this trade after we see how Kreider does with Anaheim, and what New York does with the cap space.