Change Has Come in New York as Rangers Trade Chris Kreider

Things got going Tuesday night as Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reported. The Rangers and Ducks were deep in discussions over the elements of what a trade would entail. However, according to sources, these two teams have been discussing a trade for weeks. However, the Rangers were making changes to their roster for the upcoming season.

One of the major hurdles is Kreider’s 15-team no-trade list. Many think this was the foremost hurdle to get cleared, as Anaheim was on his no-trade list. According to sources to Full Press Hockey, this was a sticking point. However, everything else was in place for a deal to be finalized. On Thursday morning, Kreider approved the agreement and agreed to waive his no-trade clause.

There has been speculation all season long surrounding the New York Rangers and Chris Kreider. It dates back to the initial note that General Manager Chris Drury sent to the other 31 general managers in the NHL back in November. Along with Kreider, other names in the note included Jacob Trouba, Mika Zibanejad, K’Andre Miller, and others.

But Kreider has not been dealing with trade rumors for the past six months. This has gone back for years. Including the year he signed his new seven-year extension back in February 2020, right before that year’s trade deadline. There was talk of him going to Boston in 2020. His name was floating around the trade circles leading into the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline as well.

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The New York Rangers have been seeking to change their culture since the end of the last off-season, following their loss to the Florida Panthers, who won the 2024 Stanley Cup, in the Eastern Conference Final. Kreider mentioned after the Rangers loss about buying into playing the way Florida did for the whole season into the playoffs.

But Drury was not satisfied with the team, as he looked to shake things up. Initially, he tried to move Jacob Trouba at the 2024 NHL Draft. However, the deal fell through because Trouba didn’t want to waive his no-trade clause. Drury found a way around that with Barclay Goodrow putting him on waivers, and the San Jose Sharks claimed him. Drury tried to trade him there, and Goodrow said no.

Players were not happy about that. It led to a rift between the players and the general manager. That rift only grew with the note and then Trouba’s trade to the Ducks in December. The roster continued to see a shakeup with players like Kaapo Kakko, Filip Chytil, and Ryan Lindgren being moved out. Drury did bring in J.T. Miller from the Vancouver Canucks. 

However, as reports trickled out not only from Full Press Hockey but also from other outlets, such as RG Media, change was coming to the Rangers’ roster this season. There was no choice but to change the roster due to the internal turmoil that occurred last season. As part of that change, Chris Kreider’s name continued to be mentioned in trade talks.

“Change is coming to the roster and to the core of the team. Chris Kreider’s name will be out there again,” sourced told RG Media. “There is no way you can run it back with the same group.”

And with Chris Drury receiving a five-year extension to remain as General Manager of the Rangers, the owner had spoken, and he was siding with the GM, not the players, after firing head coach Peter Laviolette and bringing in Mike Sullivan. 

Despite Kreider expressing his desire to stay with the Rangers and play for them, emphasizing his commitment to the organization during the team’s locker room cleanup day in April, he understands that it is a business, and his name is constantly being mentioned in trade talks.

Drury is clearing $6.5 million over the next two years as Anaheim is taking on the full salary. This is a similar move to Trouba, where he cleared his $8 million as Anaheim took on the whole contract as well.

There needed to be a change in the locker room as the players felt like they were an entitled group. If things didn’t go their way, they would tank the season to get their way. Was Kreider part of that problem? Possibly, but injuries have caught up with him. To quote Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon, it is the “winning business, not the hockey business.”

Chris Kreider, who played his last game in New York on April 17th, 2025, has played in 883 games with the Rangers, recording 582 points (326 goals and 256 assists) after bursting on the scene during the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He is tied with Vic Hadfield for the 10th most points in Rangers history and is third in franchise history for goals, behind Jean Ratelle and Rod Gilbert. 

Now it will be interesting to see what Chris Drury does with the extra $6.5 million in cap space. Zibanejad’s name remains in the mix, along with Miller. Miller, an RFA, is due for a new contract, but the Rangers could take a run at one of the top unrestricted free agents like Brock Boeser or Mitch Marner. Or do they go in a different direction entirely?

But moving Chris Kreider is not the only move the New York Rangers will make this offseason.